Cardinal John Henry Newman to become Blessed

This evening, I opened the Vatican Information service email that drops into my inbox and was filled with joy as I scrolled down.

It reads:

DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS

"VATICAN CITY, 3 JUL 2009 (VIS) - Today, during a private audience with Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorised the congregation to promulgate the following decrees:"

Then, under miracles:

"Servant of God John Henry Newman, English cardinal and founder of the Oratories of St. Philip Neri in England (1801-1890)."

What a great day for English Catholicism. It's not often you see miracles approved for the cause of an Englishmen. In fact, there probably hasn't been one in my lifetime. How exciting.

Amid all the stuff about lack of vocations, dwindling Mass numbers, child abuse scandals, increasing secularisation, closure of Catholic adoption agencies because of an ass of a law, rampant abortion, creeping euthanasia - it is announced that we have beatified Englishman for the first time in decades. What a breath of fresh air. Lets hope Newman will inspire young Catholics to be counter cultural.