US EditionPope Appoints Richard Moth as New Leader of Catholic Church in England and Wales
Bishop Richard Moth, known for his social justice work and prison ministry, will lead 450,000 Catholics as the 12th Archbishop of Westminster starting February 2026.
- On Dec. 19, 2025, Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Richard Moth as the 12th Archbishop of Westminster, confirmed by the Holy See Press Office and Westminster Diocese.
- After leading since 2009, Cardinal Vincent Nichols stepped down at 80 after remaining beyond retirement age 75 at Pope Francis's request; the Apostolic Nuncio led the search for candidates presented to Pope Leo XIV.
- His installation is set for February 14 at Westminster Cathedral, where he will preside over the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and lead six million Catholics.
- Cardinal Vincent Nichols welcomed the appointment, saying he was `delighted` at Bishop Richard Moth's nomination and praised his gifts and episcopal experience.
- He inherits a church facing attendance decline and pockets of immigrant growth, while safeguarding remains central after the 2020 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse found over 3,000 complaints.
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Pope Leon of XIV named him the bishop Richard Moth as Archbishop of Westminster, the leader of the Catholic Church in London and the most prominent Catholic figure in England and the Gallerian Church, informs Reuters,...
Our Sunday Visitor
Catholic ReviewA new rider at the helm: Bishop Richard Moth named archbishop of Westminster
LONDON (OSV News) — An avid horseback-riding Pope Leo XIV has appointed a bishop who shares his passion as the new leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Bishop Richard Moth of Arundel and Brighton was named Dec. 19 as the 12th archbishop of Westminster. He succeeds Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, who has held the office since 2009 and who turned 80 in November. Zambia-born Ar…
Pope Leon of XIV named him Bishop Richard Moth as Archbishop of Westminster, the leader of the Catholic Church in London and the most prominent Catholic figure in England and the Gallerian Church.
Associated Press News
Pope names new archbishop of Westminster as part of generational shift in English-speaking hierarchy
Pope Leo XIV has made another high-profile appointment that signals a generational shift in the English-speaking Catholic hierarchy.
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