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Pope Leo has appointed Bishop Richard Moth as the 12th Archbishop of Westminster, making him the new leader of Catholics in England and Wales.
Bishop Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015, is retiring Cardinal Vincent Nicholls,
its establishment Westminster Cathedral Will happen on 14th February.
Archbishop-elect Moth said, “I am deeply moved by the confidence that Pope Leo has placed in me by appointing me to the Diocese of Westminster.”
“As I prepare to move to the Diocese, I am very grateful for the support I am being given by Cardinal Vincent Nicholls at this time. He has given dedicated service to the Diocese and will be greatly missed.”
He added: “Serving the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton has given me a wonderful opportunity to share the mission of the Church with the common faithful and clergy, and I am thankful for the many blessings of these past 10 years.
“My first task will be to get to know the priests and people of Westminster and I now look forward to serving them. With them, and building on the strong foundation laid by so many over the past several years, I look forward to continuing the great adventure that is the life of the Church and the witness of the Gospel.”
Cardinal Nicholls of Liverpool turned 80 in November.
He had offered his resignation as usual when cardinals reach the age of 75, but said the late Pope Francis had asked him to remain in office at that time.
At that time he was criticized for a serious report on allegations of child sexual abuse.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church (IICSA) report, published in November 2020, found that Cardinal Nicholls “put the reputation of the Church” above his duty to sexual abuse victims.
It said he had demonstrated “no acknowledgment of any personal responsibility for leading or influencing change”.
The report’s findings led to calls for Cardinal Nicholls to resign.
Asked at the time whether he was the right person to lead the Church in England and Wales, despite the report’s findings, Cardinal Nicholls said: “I do what I’m told. The Holy Father has put me here and he asks me to stay here – that’s enough for me.”
The report found that the church repeatedly failed to support victims and survivors while taking positive action to protect alleged perpetrators, including relocating them to different parishes.
Cardinal Nicholls took part in his first conclave in Rome earlier this year to elect the Catholic Church’s new Pope Leo following the death of Pope Francis.
Cardinal Nicholls, who said he had known the new Pope for some years, paid tribute to Leo as a gentle and quiet man and said he would be a decisive man going forward for the Church, able to resolve difficulties “in such a way that the enemies will not be left behind”.
In a statement on Friday, Cardinal Nicholls said he was “delighted” by the news of Bishop Moth as his replacement.
He said the archbishop-elect “will bring to our diocese many gifts and significant episcopal experience from his years of ministry”.
Archbishop-elect Moth was the Catholic Bishop of Forth from 2009 to 2015.
Born in Zambia in 1958, he was raised in Kent and was ordained priest in June 1982.
Currently Chair of Governors at St Mary’s University in Twickenham and Chair of the Social Justice Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, as well as Liaison Bishop for Prisons, he is said to enjoy horse riding and walking in his spare time.