"The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in the Vatican asked that the body of the Venerable John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was exhumed from the tomb and moved to the Oratory of Birmingham, as part of the beatification process", it is written in a note of the diocese of Birmingham. Cardinal Newman, founder of the English Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, died in his room at the house of the Oratory, in Edgbaston, on 11th August 1890, at the age of 89, and was buried in the small cemetery of Rednal, in the outskirts of Birmingham. On 22nd January 1991, Newman was declared Venerable by John Paul II. "We hope the tomb of Card. Newman in the church of the Oratory of Birmingham will let many people come to venerate it, and may be light a candle here", said P. Paul Chavasse, provost of the Oratory of Birmingham and postulator of the cause of Card. Newman. "Certainly, many people will wish to honour this great and holy man", added P. Chavasse. In the meantime it is written in a note by the diocese of Birmingham P. Chavasse and the Archdiocese of Birmingham are trying to obtain from the Ministry of Justice the permit to exhume the body of Card. Newman to transfer it to the church of the Oratory". (To be continued)
