Juan Luis Lorda: "John Henry Newman's faith was not just a matter of ideas, but of life."

On the occasion of John Henry Newman's appointment as Doctor of the Church, the Core Curriculum Institute at the University of Navarra organized a roundtable discussion entitled "John Henry Newman: University Scholar and Doctor of the Church." At the meeting, Professor Juan Luis Lorda, from the School Theology, emphasized that in Newman, thought and existence were inseparably linked: "John Henry Newman's faith was not just a matter of ideas, but of life," highlighting the deeply biographical nature of his theology and his path to conversion.

The quotation also highlighted the importance of conscience and the living tradition of the Church in the Englishman's thinking. Lorda explained that for Newman, the authority of the Pope should not be understood as an external imposition, but as an authority recognized by conscience: "Authority is not accepted blindly, but from a well-formed conscience and in dialogue with the truth," he said. Hence, according to the new Doctor of the Church, "the faith of the Church is not only in books, but in the believers who live it."

María Teresa Gil Bazo, professor at the School Law, and Joe Milburn, from the School Philosophy Letters, also spoke at the event. Milburn recalled that Newman always saw himself as an educator, but that he conceived of Education something broader than the mere acquisition of knowledge: "Newman praised Education as something very important, but he knew that it was not everything," he said. In this regard, he explained that Newman distinguished between Education , professional, and religious Education , complementary dimensions that should be integrated into training .

The importance of models and roles in the contemporary Church

Another central theme was the relationship between knowledge action. For Newman, intellect is necessary but insufficient if it does not translate into decisions and concrete life. In Milburn's words, "we are not made for contemplation alone," but to integrate what staff learned into staff experience. In this process, human and spiritual models—Christ, the apostles, and the saints—play a core topic role, as core topic the figure of mentor guide accompanies intellectual and moral growth.

Finally, the speakers highlighted Newman's contribution to development dogma and to the life of the contemporary Church. The English thinker showed how doctrine can grow and deepen without losing its essential identity. For this reason, he remains a reference letter for the university, the laity, and the Church as a whole.