Heart to Heart Communiction

 

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An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly has some background on Cardinal  John Henry Newman, 

an Anglican priest who became a Catholic. He dedicated his life to the Church and was named the 38th Doctor of the Church on July 31 by Pope Leo XIV. A  title given to saints who have made significant contributions to Catholic teaching and spirituality.

Cardinal Newman was born in London, England, in 1801 and was baptized an Anglican and ordained a Catholic priest. While a professor at Oxford University, he was a leading figure in the Oxford Movement, a 19th-century Anglican reform movement that wanted to revitalize the Church by reasserting its connection to Catholic traditions and emphasizing its spiritual independence from the state.

He realized that the Oxford Movement was more in line with universal church teaching and was baptized Catholic in 1845 by Father Domenico Barberi, his friend, an Italian Passionist priest living in England, who received him into the Catholic Church. In October 1846, he entered the Pontifical University of Urbano to study theology, and the following year, in 1847, he was ordained a priest and received the Doctor of Divinity degree from Pope Pius IX. 

In 1879, Pope Leo XIII made Newman a cardinal. This was an unusual decision for the time. Cardinal Newman chose the phrase “Cor ad cor loquitur” (heart speaks to the heart) as his pastoral motto.

Cardinal Newman had a profound influence on Catholic and Anglican doctrine. After his conversion, he remained active as a theologian, exploring the harmony between faith and reason when science and faith clashed over evolution. His work is credited with influencing the Second Vatican Council in 1965. He also authored 40 books and more than 20,000 documents.

As a Catholic and Anglican saint, Cardinal Newman's work has led to the establishment of institutions and organizations named after him in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and other Anglo-American countries. "He wrote numerous books on theology, spirituality, and mysticism. 

"Cor ad cor loquitur" is most famously associated with St. John Henry Newman, who adopted it as his episcopal motto when he became a cardinal. The phrase stresses the importance of personal, sincere, heartfelt connections in communication, particularly in matters of faith and spirituality, suggesting that profound truths are best communicated through genuine, personal relationships rather than through intellectual arguments alone. The phrase originates from the writings of St. Francis de Sales.

Newman believed that while logic and reason were important, they were not sufficient for conveying the more profound truths of faith. He argued that true conversion and transformation happen through a personal, heart-to-heart connection with God and others. The phrase continues to be used in various contexts, including by bishops, schools, and organizations, to emphasize the importance of personal connection, empathy, and authentic communication in relating with God and others.

"Cor ad cor loquitur" highlights the power of genuine human connection in fostering understanding, faith, and spiritual growth.