Ahead of the installation of the new Archbishop of Westminster, Marianne Rozario breaks down what this appointment means for the Catholic Church. 10/02/2026

For Catholics in England and Wales, this Saturday marks a significant moment: Bishop Richard Moth will be installed as the new Archbishop of Westminster, one of the most prominent roles in the Catholic Church in this country.

The Diocese of Westminster, along with other dioceses, was established on 29 September 1850 by Blessed Pope Pius IX. This marked the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales, following centuries of suppression after the Reformation—when the celebration of Mass was largely confined to chapels in foreign embassies or celebrated in secret. By 1850, Catholic life had begun slowly to re–emerge: since 1688 the country had been under the care of a missionary bishop (a Vicar Apostolic), with missionary churches serving the small Catholic population, alongside the gradual development of Catholic schools, charitable institutions, and lay organisations. [i] But no formal Catholic hierarchy existed.

After the Diocese’s establishment in 1850, expansion accelerated, with 45 churches opening between 1850 and 1865, and growth continuing in subsequent decades.[ii] It is worth noting, however, that the diocese had a policy of building schools before churches so that the burgeoning—and largely very poor—Catholic population could be educated. The building of Westminster Cathedral itself did not start until 1895.

In 2025, the Diocese marked its 175th anniversary; it now has 212 parishes and 206 schools. Despite being one of the smallest dioceses in terms of geographical size, it serves one of the largest Catholic populations and has one of the highest number of priests in the country.[iii] Although Westminster is only one of the 21 Catholic dioceses that cover England and Wales, Westminster Cathedral is widely regarded as the “mother church” and the Diocese the de–facto head.

During his service from 2009 to 2025, Cardinal Vincent Nichols—the outgoing Archbishop of Westminster—has guided the Catholic Church through significant times[iv]. He has overseen unparalleled events post–Reformation including the first official papal state visit to the UK with Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in 2010 (Saint John Paul’s visit in 1982 was a pastoral one), participated in the coronation of King Charles III as the first Roman Catholic cleric to do so, and most recently presided over the first royal funeral at Westminster Cathedral, that of the Duchess of Kent.

Cardinal Nichols has also had to oversee some more challenging times, including child sex abuse scandals identified through the IICSA inquiry, and the introduction of British legislation in contradiction to Catholic teachings on matters redefining marriage, curtailing religious freedom, expanding abortion, and most recently promoting assisted suicide (though this remains before parliament). He has also been involved in significant religious moments—the canonisation of Saint John Henry Newman, now a Doctor of the Church, and Saint Carlo Acutis, along with participating in the election of Pope Leo XIV.

This year brings change for the Diocese: a new ‘shepherd’ to lead Westminster and beyond. Archbishop–elect Richard Moth was born in Zambia but brought up in Kent and was ordained a priest in 1982. He has served in numerous roles including as Bishop of the Forces, and since 2015 Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, and has been Chair of Governors at St Mary’s University, Chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department for Social Justice, and Liaison Bishop for Prisons.[v] He will become the twelfth Archbishop of Westminster pastorally guiding the Catholic faithful and, working closely with his brother bishops and lay Catholics, will be one of the prominent voices for the Catholic Church in the country. But the primary role of a bishop is not in the public square.

A bishop’s vocation is to exercise the threefold ministry (tria munera) of sanctifying, teaching and governing the people of God, reflecting Jesus’ role as priest, prophet and king. As priest, he sanctifies by celebrating the sacraments—most especially the Eucharist—but also through possessing the authority to ordain clergy, and by fostering the Church’s prayer and liturgical life. As prophet, he teaches the Gospel with authority, safeguards apostolic doctrine, and offers moral and social guidance to both the faithful and the wider society. As king, or shepherd, he governs by exercising pastoral leadership: guiding the diocese, ensuring the unity and discipline of the Church, promoting justice and charity, and coordinating the mission entrusted to him for the building up of the Body of Christ.[vi]

Lumen Gentium, a key document of the Second Vatican Council, teaches that bishops, by divine institution, have succeeded to the place of the apostles and have received “the fullness of the sacrament of Orders”. This is what distinguishes them from priests defined as “co–workers of the episcopal order” who exercise their ministry in dependence upon and communion with the bishop.[vii] Therefore, bishops bear responsibility for the sanctifying, teaching, and governance of the diocese, in communion with the pope and the College of Bishops, and “take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona agant)”.[viii]

Beyond his responsibilities as teacher, shepherd, and priest to the Diocese of Westminster, the new role Archbishop–elect Moth takes on carries wider significance. An archbishop has no greater ecclesial authority than a bishop. The Catholic Church is more decentralised than one imagines: there is no ‘national church’. However, an archbishop oversees an archdiocese that is usually larger, older or of more significance than other dioceses, and it is likely that the Archbishop–elect will become the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Because of this, and due to the significance of the Diocese of Westminster, Archbishop–elect Moth may represent the Catholic Church in national public life, speaking on moral, social, and political issues in the light of Catholic teaching, in ways appropriate for a pastoral leader, and always respecting the appropriate competence of the laity. Beyond the national sphere, he will, in a certain sense, also represent Catholics of England and Wales to the wider world and to the Holy See, serving as a key figure in the Church’s international life.

As the newly appointed shepherd of Westminster, Archbishop–elect Moth is wished every success in his ministry. It is hoped that he will lead those entrusted to his care closer to Christ. He will, in turn, be supported by their prayers—something which Archbishop–elect Moth, as a man of prayer himself, will greatly value.

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