Pope Leo XIV names Bishop Richard Moth, 67, as Archbishop of Westminster, replacing retiring Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Moth adopts cautious stance on Traditional Latin Mass.
Newsroom (23/12/2025 Gaudium Press)Pope Leo XIV continued a series of high-profile appointments in the English-speaking Catholic world on Friday, naming Bishop Richard Moth, 67, as the new Archbishop of Westminster, succeeding the retiring Cardinal Vincent Nichols, 80.
The move, announced by the Holy See, places Moth at the helm of the largest diocese in Britain by Catholic population and number of priests, centered at Westminster Cathedral, widely regarded as the mother church for Catholics in England and Wales.
The appointment follows closely on the heels of another significant transition: the previous day, Leo XIV named Bishop Ronald Hicks, 58, to succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan as Archbishop of New York, one of the most prominent and influential archdioceses in the United States.
Both Nichols and Dolan, appointed to their respective posts in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, have been among the most prominent English-speaking cardinals for over a decade. Nichols, who was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Francis in 2014, remained in office well beyond the customary retirement age of 75. Dolan, often associated with the church’s conservative wing, submitted his resignation in February upon reaching 75, which Leo XIV accepted 10 months later—shortly after Dolan finalized a $300 million settlement fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse.
The rapid succession of these retirements reflects Pope Leo XIV’s stated intention to more strictly observe the 75-year retirement norm for bishops, a policy he described last month in an address to Italian bishops as essential for the church to “constantly renew itself” amid contemporary challenges. “We must prevent inertia from slowing necessary change, even for good intentions,” the pontiff said on November 25, while noting that limited two-year extensions for cardinals could still be granted.
Born in Chingola, Zambia, Moth has served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015. He previously held the role of bishop to the British armed forces. In a separate announcement Friday, Leo XIV also accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Barbarito, 75, from the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, appointing Father Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez—pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Queens, New York City’s largest parish—as his successor. That parish, serving a predominantly Hispanic community of 17,000 in Corona, suffered heavily during the COVID-19 pandemic, losing more than 100 parishioners.
At a midday press conference in the Throne Room at Archbishop’s House—the first opportunity for journalists to question the archbishop-elect since the Vatican confirmation—Moth addressed inquiries about potential changes to provision for the Traditional Latin Mass in Westminster.
Responding to a question from the Catholic Herald’s Niwa Limbu, who described him as a “silent ally” to priests attached to the older rite during his tenure in Arundel and Brighton, Moth emphasized a measured, needs-based approach. He noted that in his current diocese, celebrations of the pre-conciliar liturgy involved only a small number of priests and were calibrated to actual pastoral demand.
“When the new requirements came out, I did as I was asked to do,” Moth said, referring to the regulations under Traditionis custodes. “I wrote to the Holy See. I said, this is our situation, and asked for permission for this to continue, and it was granted.”
Declining to commit to future policy in a diocese he has yet to lead directly, Moth stressed the importance of dialogue and assessment. “Anything in terms of pastoral needs, you see what the need is and you do your best to answer it,” he said. “But that requires conversations, getting to know people, and learning what the situation is.”
In a light-hearted allusion to his listed hobby of horse riding, he added: “You should never rush a fence.”
Observers noted that Moth’s responses positioned him squarely within the current Vatican framework, neither championing nor restricting the older liturgy beyond regulatory compliance and proportional provision. While some priests in Arundel and Brighton have privately credited him with allowing lawful celebrations to continue without confrontation, Moth framed his approach in terms of bureaucratic process, obedience to Rome, and pastoral sufficiency—avoiding ideological positioning.
As he assumes leadership of the preeminent Catholic see in England and Wales, Moth’s deliberate caution signals a style of episcopal governance focused on stability and public management rather than symbolic gestures. In an era of ecclesial tensions, analysts suggest this measured approach may suit the national prominence of Westminster, which operates under intense scrutiny from Rome, the media, and the broader episcopate.
The appointment marks another step in what appears to be a deliberate generational shift under Pope Leo XIV, prioritizing renewal while maintaining continuity in key English-speaking hierarchies.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now and Catholic Herald
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