Roman Catholic Saint, Cardinal, Poet, Author. He was ordained into the Anglican Church in 1824 and became a major figure of the Oxford or Tractarian Movement in the Church of England. He found it increasingly difficult to reconcile his protestant faith with the teachings of the early fathers of the Christian Church and was finally received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845. He wrote a number of influential works including 'Apologia Pro Vita Sua' (1865) and 'The Grammar of Assent' (1870). He also wrote the hymn 'Lead Kindly Light' (1833) and the poem, 'The Dream of Gerontius', the words of which were used in Sir Edward Elgar's oratorio of the same name. Although he was not a bishop, he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the grave of his great friend and fellow convert, Ambrose St John. He was declared 'Venerable' by Pope John Paul II in 1991. In preparation for his expected beatification and canonization, the Catholic Church obtained dispensation from the Ministry of Justice for his remains to be transferred from his grave to a newly built tomb of Italian green marble in The Birmingham Oratory. (English law forbids reinterment of a body from a graveyard to a church). This caused a certain amount of controversy because he had always wished to be buried with his dearest friend. Some gay rights activists were particularly incensed although there is no definitive proof that he was homosexual. The grave was opened in October 2008 but no remains were found due to his body being buried in a wooden coffin in very damp ground.
Roman Catholic Saint, Cardinal, Poet, Author. He was ordained into the Anglican Church in 1824 and became a major figure of the Oxford or Tractarian Movement in the Church of England. He found it increasingly difficult to reconcile his protestant faith with the teachings of the early fathers of the Christian Church and was finally received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845. He wrote a number of influential works including 'Apologia Pro Vita Sua' (1865) and 'The Grammar of Assent' (1870). He also wrote the hymn 'Lead Kindly Light' (1833) and the poem, 'The Dream of Gerontius', the words of which were used in Sir Edward Elgar's oratorio of the same name. Although he was not a bishop, he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the grave of his great friend and fellow convert, Ambrose St John. He was declared 'Venerable' by Pope John Paul II in 1991. In preparation for his expected beatification and canonization, the Catholic Church obtained dispensation from the Ministry of Justice for his remains to be transferred from his grave to a newly built tomb of Italian green marble in The Birmingham Oratory. (English law forbids reinterment of a body from a graveyard to a church). This caused a certain amount of controversy because he had always wished to be buried with his dearest friend. Some gay rights activists were particularly incensed although there is no definitive proof that he was homosexual. The grave was opened in October 2008 but no remains were found due to his body being buried in a wooden coffin in very damp ground.
Bio by: L.Moon
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