Pope appoints Richard Moth as new leader of Catholic Church in England and Wales
The Vatican has announced that Richard Moth will become the new Archbishop of Westminster, making him head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
He succeeds Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who held the post since 2009 and resigned at the age of 80.
Richard Moth has been Bishop of Arundel and Brighton for the past 10 years and before that served as Bishop of the Powers.
As Archbishop of Westminster, he will be president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, leading an estimated six million Catholics.
Cardinal Nichols reached retirement age at the age of 75, but was asked to remain in office by Pope Francis. In May he attended the conclave where Pope Leo XIV was elected.
The search for Cardinal Nichols’ replacement was led by the Apostolic Nuncio, or the papal ambassador to the United Kingdom, who presented Pope Leo with a list of potential candidates.
Earlier this week, Archbishop Moth issued a joint statement reminding Catholics that Jesus’ family fled to Egypt as refugees and calling for empathy for “those who came to this country for their safety.”
He became one of the bishops who led the Church’s response to social justice issues in the UK, including praise for the removal of the two-child benefit limit.
Archbishop Moth will face the problem of declining numbers of people attending churches nationally, despite an increase in immigrant Catholics in some churches.
For example, in response to the increasing use of Christian symbols at rallies organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, Bishop Moth spoke of his concern.
Last weekend, Robinson held an event in London, saying he wanted to “reclaim” the country’s heritage and Christian identity.
In a statement with the Archbishop of Birmingham, Bishop Moth said: “We are concerned about increasing tensions in society and the desire of some groups to sow division in our communities. This does not reflect the spirit or message of Christmas.” he said.
The Catholic Church is heavily involved in providing assistance to those suffering from the cost of living crisis.
As archbishop, Richard Moth will also lead the Church’s ongoing struggle to deal with conservation issues.
A wide-ranging investigation into child sexual abuse in 2020 found that between 1970 and 2015, the Catholic Church in England and Wales received more than 3,000 complaints of child sexual abuse against more than 900 people associated with the Church.
In fact, the leadership of Archbishop Moth’s predecessor, Cardinal Nichols, was criticized in the investigation report, stating that he cared more about the impact of the abuse on the Church’s reputation than the victims.
At the time, Cardinal Nichols apologized and said he accepted the report, adding: “That so many people have suffered is a terrible shame that I have to live with and from which I must learn.”
Cardinal Nichols retired after leading the Church in England and Wales for 16 years, during which time the church faced tremendous change.
He is the son of two teachers and was born in Crosby. A lifelong Liverpool FC fan, he undertook his first assignment as a priest in Wigan.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI. He welcomed Benedict on an official visit to England.
