Cardinal's remains will be moved

Cardinal Newman's remains will be moved to the Birmingham Oratory

The remains of a Roman Catholic cardinal who could be made a saint are to be dug up and interred in a sarcophagus at his memorial church.

Cardinal John Henry Newman, who founded the Birmingham Oratory in 1848, is buried in a small cemetery in Rednal.

Father Paul Chavasse, provost of the Oratory, said the move followed a request from the Vatican, as part of the beatification process.

Claims of two miracles by the cardinal are being investigated by the Vatican.

People in the US have claimed to have been cured after praying to the priest.

Father Chavasse said the exhumation would be a private event but the interment would be a public ceremony.

It is hoped Pope Benedict XVI will issue a decree declaring Cardinal Newman, who died in 1890, as "Blessed" in December and that a beatification ceremony will be held in Rome in spring next year.