Rome, Italy, Sep 3, 2008 / 08:55 am
Ian Ker, an expert biographer of English convert Cardinal John Henry Newman, answered the calumnies leveled against the Servant of God in recent weeks by the homosexual lobby, saying he was buried in the tomb of the Father Ambrose St. John because that was his desire and that the two enjoyed a close friendship.
In an article entitled, “John Henry Newman and the sacrifice of celibacy,” published in L’Osservatore Romano, Ker comments that “the decision to exhume the body of venerable John Henry Newman has provoked reactions, in particular on the part of the homosexual lobby,” whose leaders are attempting to manipulate the image of the cardinal in order to promote their agenda.
According to Ker, this “protest” carries an ill-intentioned implication because it spreads the idea that “Newman wanted to be buried with his friend because he had some kind of bond with him or something more than just a simple friendship.”
Ker refutes these claims with historical examples such as the case of C.S. Lewis and his brother Warnie, who both desired to be buried in the same tomb and who nobody accuses of having incestuous sentiments.