saw the bond between Newman and Ambrose St John as entirely spiritual, noting that Newman, when speaking of St John, echoes the language of John's gospel.
Shortly after St John's death, Bray adds, Newman recorded a conversation between them before St John lost his speech in those final days. He expressed his hope, Newman wrote, that during his whole priestly life he had not committed one mortal sin. For men of their time and culture that statement is definitive.
Newman's burial with Ambrose St John cannot be detached from his understanding of the place of friendship in Christian belief or its long history. Bray cites numerous examples of friends being buried together. Newman's burial with St John was not unusual at the time, and did not draw contemporary comment.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten