Pope appoints new leader of Catholic Church in England and Wales

Richard Moth, the Vatican's current Archbishop of Westminster, will take over the Catholic Church in England and Wales, making him the head of the Catholic Cathedral in England & Wales. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has been with the position since 2009, has resigned at the age of 80. Richard Moth has been Bishop of Arundel and Brighton for ten years, and before that served as Bishop of the Forces. He will be the president of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales as Archbishop of Westminster and lead an estimated 6 million Catholics.

Cardinal Nichols reached retirement age when he was 75, but Pope Francis told him not to continue on. In May, he took part in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. The quest for a replacement for Cardinal Nichols was led by the Apostolic Nuncio, or papal ambassador to the United Kingdom, who sent a list of potential candidates to Pope Leo. Archbishop Moth issued a joint statement earlier this week pledging compassion for

those who come to this country for their protection,

reminding Catholics that Jesus' family fled to Egypt as refugees. He has been one of the Church's social justice issues, including lauding the removal of the two-child benefit cap. Although there is an increase in some churches with immigrant Catholics, Archbishop Moth will face the challenge of declining numbers of people attending churches around the country. Bishop Moth has expressed fear in response to the increasing use of Christian symbols, as demonstrated by far-right activist Tommy Robinson's rallies. Robinson said last weekend that he wanted to reclaim the country's roots and Christian identity.

We are worried about the rising tensions in society and the desire by some groups to sow seeds of division within our families. In a letter to the Archbishop of Birmingham, Bishop Moth said,

this does not reflect the spirit or message of Christmas. The Catholic Church has been instrumental in the relief of those who have been affected by the cost of living crisis.

Richard Moth, the Archbishop, would also lead the Church's constant struggle with safeguarding issues. According to a wide-ranging inquiry into child sexual abuse, there have been more than 3,000 reports of sexual assault against more than 1,000 individuals connected to the Catholic Church in England and Wales between 1970 and 2015. In fact, Archbishop Moth's predecessor, Cardinal Nichols, was more concerned about the effect of abuse on the Church's image than on the victims. Cardinal Nichols apologised and said he accepted the study: "That so many people suffered is a horrible shame with which I must live and from which I should learn. Cardinal Nichols has been the Head of the Church in England and Wales for 16 years, during which the Church underwent major reforms. He is the son of two teachers and was born in Crosby. In Wigan, the lifelong Liverpool FC fan took up his first role as a priest. On a official visit to England in 2010, he welcomed Pope Benedict XVI.