Normally, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of a blessed or saint on the day of their entry into eternity.

The Church considers that day as their special dies natalis. In the case of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the Church fixed his feast on October 9, which is the day of his conversion to the Catholic Faith and to the Catholic Church. As a matter of fact we read that on October 9, 1845, Newman was received into the Catholic Church by Father Dominic, an Italian Passionist.

Another exception made in the beatification of Cardinal Newman was the fact that he was declared blessed by the Pope himself.

So the Pope made an exception to his own rule. When he became Pope, he wanted beatifications to be declared by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Now, for more than one reason, the Pope wanted to beatify this cardinal himself. The Pope says that this 19th century English theologian has had a significant influence on his own life.

The Mass for his beatification was a particularly special one: Not only was it the only such Mass celebrated by Benedict XVI, but it was also the first beatification of an Englishman for centuries.