Newman Hijacking

Laurence, Damian T, Fr Ray et al quote John Cornwell (Hitler's Pope, The Pope in Winter (disgusting description of WYD2000), Any Pope you care to name, I don't like him....)

'Benedict and the traditionalist wing of Catholicism nevertheless claim Newman as a faithful supporter of the papal “magisterium” — pontifical dogmas on a raft of issues. When addressing Britain’s bishops three months ago, the Pope cited Newman as an enemy to Catholic dissidence in any shape or form.'

Call me a simpleton (simpleton!), but Newman was not that young when he converted, which cannot have made it easier than if he had done it whilst a student, say. Converting to Catholicism in the mid-19th England did not carry worldly benefits, in fact he had to give up the (I imagine) cosy milieu of Oxford don/clergymen. Presumably, then he thought the Papacy worth converting for.

He had gone into the whole Catholic thing in quite some detail. He was that sort of man. I read his novel, 'Loss and Gain,' as a student and the chief protagonist was forever going on walks with chums, so that Newman could tell us all about this or that and each time come to the conclusion that the Catholic Church was the answer. Actually, scrub what I said in the previous paragraph about it being easier to convert as a student, because you had to sign the 39 Articles before you could take your Finals, so that was your choice - university education or Catholicism.

Did Newman have the luxury of a half hearted, it won't change my life much, Papacy - whatever, conversion? Um, no.

PS Traditionalist wing of Catholicism? What's that then?