THE next Archbishop of Westminster, succeeding Cardinal Vincent Nichols, is to be the Bishop of Arundel & Brighton, the Rt Revd Richard Moth.
He will be installed in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 14 February, it was announced on Friday. In the mean time, Cardinal Nichols, who is 80, and has been Archbishop since 2009 and a cardinal since 2014, will serve as Apostolic Administrator of the diocese.
During his archiepiscopate, Cardinal Nichols was involved in the first papal state visit to the UK, that made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He also became the first Roman Catholic cleric to participate in an English coronation service since the Reformation.
Before his translation to Arundel & Brighton in 2015, Bishop Moth had been the RC Bishop of the Forces since 2009. He said in a statement that he was “moved greatly by the trust that Pope Leo has placed in [him]. . .
“Serving the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton has given me the wonderful opportunity of sharing the Church’s mission with lay faithful and clergy, and I give thanks for the many blessings of these last ten years.”
His first priority, he said, would be to build relationships with the priests and people of Westminster. “With them, and building on the firm foundations that have been laid by so many down the years, I look forward to continuing the great adventure that is the life of the Church and witness to the gospel.”
Bishop Moth was born in Chingola, Zambia, but was brought up in Kent. He trained for ministry at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh, and was ordained priest for the archdiocese of Southwark in 1982.
He served as an assistant priest in London, was a territorial army chaplain, and studied canon law at Saint Paul University, Ottawa. He currently chairs the governors of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and the department for social justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. He is also the Liaison Bishop for Prisons.
Cardinal Nichols reached retirement age when he was 75, but was asked to stay on by Pope Francis. The Cardinal was “delighted” by the news about his successor. “Archbishop-elect Richard will bring to our diocese many gifts and considerable episcopal experience,” he said.
He recalled being present in Westminster Cathedral on 29 September 2009 for his successor’s episcopal ordination. “So, today, I can say: ‘Welcome back, dear Bishop Richard. You are most welcome indeed,’” he said.
After the announcement on Friday, Churches Together in England posted their congratulations to Bishop Moth on social media. Westminster Abbey wrote: “We greatly value our ongoing work with our closest ecumenical partners.”
Bishop Moth was appointed a Canon of Honour of Chichester Cathedral by the Bishop, Dr Martin Warner, in 2017. Both spoke at the time of their close working relationship.
The Archbishop of York welcomed the announcement. He posted on social media: “In the Church of England, we stand alongside our sisters and brothers in the Catholic Church, praying for Bishop Richard and uniting in a common witness to Jesus Christ. May his ministry be filled with joy, and may he lead with wisdom, humility and faith, guided by the Holy Spirit.”
The Archbishop of Wales also sent her congratulations. “At a time when our society needs, more than ever, the inspiration and the challenge of the Christian message, I know that Bishop Richard’s deep personal faith and his longstanding commitment to social justice will carry much-needed conviction,” Archbishop Vann said.