Pope appoints new archbishop of Westminster for England and Wales

LONDON: Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster, making him the most senior Catholic leader in England and Wales, the Catholic Church announced on Friday.

Moth, 67, will formally take over from Cardinal Vincent Nichols on February 14. Nichols, who has led an estimated 3.8 million Catholics in England and Wales for the past 16 years, turned 80 last month and is retiring from the post.

Nichols faced criticism in recent years following a 2020 report into historic child sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Church. The report said he had prioritised the reputation of the Church over the needs of victims and showed insufficient personal responsibility in driving reform.

The announcement comes a day after the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV had accepted the resignation of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, signalling a broader leadership shift within the global Church. Dolan has been replaced by Ronald Hicks, a pro-migrant bishop from Chicago.

Speaking at a press conference in London alongside Nichols, Archbishop-designate Moth welcomed his appointment, saying he was “deeply grateful” to the Pope. He described the period as an important moment for the Catholic Church in Britain, the country’s second-largest Christian denomination after Anglicanism.

Moth said reports of a rise in Catholic numbers suggested what some have described as a “quiet revival,” though he urged caution in interpreting the trend.

On the issue of immigration, which remains a divisive topic in the UK, Moth said he would continue to remind society that “everyone, wherever they come from, has something to contribute.”

Addressing the Church’s response to past abuse scandals, he reaffirmed a commitment to safeguarding and said survivors would be given the opportunity to meet with him directly.

“I am certainly committed to offering that opportunity to survivors,” he said.

Born in Zambia in 1958 and raised in Kent, southeast England, Moth previously held senior roles in the Southwark diocese before being appointed Bishop of the Armed Forces in 2009. He has served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015 and has chaired the Church’s social justice department, while also acting as liaison bishop for prisons.

Nichols praised Moth as a leader of “many gifts and considerable episcopal experience.”