The new leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has been appointed by the Pope.
Bishop Richard Moth becomes the 12th Archbishop of Westminster, the church confirmed on Friday.
He replaces the retiring Cardinal Vincent Nichols and will be officially installed in his new role at Westminster Cathedral on 14 February.
The Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015, Bishop Moth said: “I am moved greatly by the trust that Pope Leo has placed in me, in appointing me to the Diocese of Westminster.
“As I prepare to move to the diocese, I am so grateful for the support being given to me by Cardinal Vincent Nichols at this time. He has given dedicated service to the diocese and will be missed greatly.”
Cardinal Nichols, originally from Liverpool, turned 80 in November.
He had offered to resign, as is usual when cardinals reach the age of 75, but said the late Pope Francis had asked him to stay.
He was criticised around that time over a damning report into child sex abuse allegations.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report into the Catholic Church, published in November 2020, found Cardinal Nichols “seemingly put the reputation of the church” above his duty to sex assault victims.
It said he had showed “no acknowledgement of any personal responsibility to lead or influence change”.
The report findings were met with calls for Cardinal Nichols to resign.
Asked at the time if he was the right person to lead the Church in England and Wales, despite the findings of the report, Cardinal Nichols said: “I do what I’m told. The Holy Father put me here and he tells me to stay here – that’s enough for me.”
The report found that the Church repeatedly failed to support victims and survivors while taking steps to protect alleged perpetrators, including moving them to different parishes.
Cardinal Nichols took part in his first conclave in Rome earlier this year to elect the Catholic Church’s new Pope Leo.
Cardinal Nichols, who said he had known the new Pope for a few years, described Leo as calm and gentle and said he would be a decisive figure going forward for the Church.
He said he would be able to resolve difficulties “in a way that didn’t leave enemies behind him”.
In a statement on Friday, Cardinal Nichols said he was “delighted” at news of Bishop Moth as his replacement.
He said Bishop Moth would “bring to our diocese many gifts and considerable episcopal experience from his years of ministry”.
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Archbishop-elect Moth was the Catholic Bishop of the Forces from 2009 until 2015.
Born in Zambia in 1958, he was raised in Kent and was ordained a priest in June 1982.
Bishop Moth is chairman of governors at St Mary’s University in Twickenham and chairman of the department for social justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, as well as liaison bishop for prisons.
He is said to enjoy walking and horse riding in his leisure time.
