The Vatican has appointed Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster, making him the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. He succeeds Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has stepped down after 16 years in the role…reports Asian Lite News
The Vatican has announced the appointment of Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster, placing him at the helm of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and making him the spiritual leader of an estimated four million Catholics.
Archbishop Moth succeeds Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has held the position since 2009 and has retired at the age of 80. Cardinal Nichols reached the usual retirement age of 75 several years ago but was asked by Pope Francis to remain in office. In May, he took part in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
For the past decade, Archbishop Moth has served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton. Prior to that, he was Bishop of the Forces, overseeing pastoral care for members of the British armed forces and their families. His appointment follows a selection process led by the Apostolic Nuncio, the Pope’s ambassador to the UK, who submitted a shortlist of candidates to Pope Leo.
As Archbishop of Westminster, Moth will also become president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, giving him a central role in shaping the Church’s response to national issues, public policy and internal reform.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Cardinal Nichols praised his successor, saying Archbishop Moth would bring “experience and practical wisdom to the life of the diocese”. Nichols steps down after 16 years of leadership during a period of significant social change and challenge for the Church.
In his first public remarks following the announcement, Archbishop Moth said his immediate priority would be listening and engagement. “My first task here is to get to know everybody — to get to know priests and people, to get to know schools, to get to know the life of this wonderful diocese here in Westminster,” he said.
He described social justice as a consistent focus of his ministry, highlighting a particular concern for prisons and those on the margins of society. Earlier this week, he issued a joint statement urging empathy for “those who come to this country for their safety”, reminding Catholics that Jesus’s family had themselves fled to Egypt as refugees.
Archbishop Moth has been among senior church figures responding to contemporary political and social debates, including welcoming the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap and voicing concern over the appropriation of Christian symbols by far-right groups. Following a recent London rally organised by activist Tommy Robinson, he warned that such actions risk fuelling division and misrepresenting Christian values.
“We are concerned about the tensions that are growing in society and the desire by some groups to sow seeds of division within our communities,” he said in a joint statement with the Archbishop of Birmingham. “This does not reflect the spirit or message of Christmas.”
The new archbishop inherits significant challenges, including declining church attendance across much of the country, although some parishes with strong immigrant communities are experiencing growth. He will also face the ongoing task of strengthening safeguarding within the Church.
A major inquiry in 2020 found that more than 3,000 complaints of child sexual abuse had been made within the Catholic Church in England and Wales between 1970 and 2015. Cardinal Nichols’ leadership was criticised in the report, though he apologised publicly and accepted its findings.
As he takes on his new role, Archbishop Moth will be expected to guide the Church through a period of renewal, accountability and continued engagement with social justice issues at a national level.
