Tag: Catholic Church

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Pope appoints new leader of Catholic Church in England and Wales

The Vatican has announced that Richard Moth will be the new Archbishop of Westminster, making him the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

He succeeds Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has held the role since 2009 and has stepped down aged 80.

For the past 10 years Richard Moth has been Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, and before that served as Bishop of the Forces.

As Archbishop of Westminster he will become president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and lead an estimated four million Catholics.

Cardinal Nichols reached retirement age when he was 75, but was asked to stay on by Pope Francis. In May he took part in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.

The search for a replacement for Cardinal Nichols was led by the Apostolic Nuncio, or papal ambassador to the UK, who presented a list of potential candidates to Pope Leo.

Earlier this week, Archbishop Moth released a joint statement calling for empathy for “those who come to this country for their safety”, reminding Catholics that Jesus’s family fled to Egypt as refugees.

He has been one of the bishops leading the Church’s response to social justice issues in the UK, including praising the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, outgoing Cardinal Nichols said his successor would bring “experience and practical wisdom to the life of the diocese”.

Archbishop Moth said: “My first task here is to get to know everybody… to get to know priests and people, to get to know schools, to get to know the life of this wonderful diocese here in Westminster”.

He said his focus had “consistently been in the area of social justice”, adding he had a “particular concern for prisons”.

Archbishop Moth will face the challenge of declining numbers of people attending churches nationally, though there is growth in some churches with immigrant Catholics.

In response to the growing use of Christian symbols at, for example, rallies organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, Bishop Moth has talked of his concern.

Last weekend, Robinson held an event in London saying he wanted to “reclaim” the country’s heritage and Christian identity.

“We are concerned about the tensions that are growing in society and the desire by some groups to sow seeds of division within our communities. This does not reflect the spirit or message of Christmas,” Bishop Moth said in a statement with the Archbishop of Birmingham.

The Catholic Church has been heavily involved in providing assistance to those who have suffered in the cost of living crisis.

As archbishop, Richard Moth will also lead the Church’s constant challenge of dealing with safeguarding issues.

In 2020, a wide-ranging inquiry into child sexual abuse found that between 1970 and 2015 the Catholic Church in England and Wales received more than 3,000 complaints of child sexual abuse against more than 900 individuals connected to the Church.

In fact, the leadership of Archbishop Moth’s predecessor, Cardinal Nichols, was criticised in the inquiry report, which said he cared more about the impact of abuse on the Church’s reputation than on the victims.

At the time, Cardinal Nichols apologised and said he accepted the report, adding: “That so many suffered is a terrible shame with which I must live and from which I must learn.”

Cardinal Nichols retires having led the Church in England and Wales for 16 years, during which it faced enormous change.

He is the son of two teachers and was born in Crosby. The lifelong Liverpool FC fan took up his first role as a priest in Wigan.

In 2010, he welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to England on an official visit. (BBC)

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50 children abducted from Catholic School in Niger State have escaped – CAN

Fifty of the more than 300 children abducted by bandits from the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, have escaped their captors.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, adding that they escaped between Friday and Saturday.

“We have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” said Daniel Atori, the media aide to CAN Chairman in Niger State, Most. Rev. Bulus Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese.

“The pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday and have reunited with their parents as they could not return to the school after they escaped. We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” the statement read.

“Note that, in the primary section out of the total number of 430 pupils we have in the school, 377 of them are boarders and the remaining 53 others are non boarders.

“Currently, aside the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not carried away. As it stands now, we have 236 pupils, another three children who belong to our staff, 14 Secondary students making a total 253 children including 12 members of staff with the abductors.”

He stated that Bishop Yohanna who is also the Proprietor of the school and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese gave the update.

He also called for calm, seeking prayers for the successful rescue of the remaining victims.

“As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims.

“I want to call on everyone to remain calm and prayerful as we will continue to actively collaborate with security operatives, community leaders, government and relevant authorities for the safe and quick return of all abductees.

“May the Lord grant quick release to those abducted and continue to protect his people from all dangers.”

In a statement by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev Fr. Jatau Joseph, on Sunday, the diocese also released the names of the children who escaped.

Over 300 students were abducted when terrorists invaded the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri in the Agwarra local government area of Niger State.

Although initial report said 227 people were taken against their will on Friday, CAN put the total number of victims abducted by suspected terrorists at 315.

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, Most. Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, gave the update after a verification exercise and a final census was carried out.

A breakdown of newly released data showed that 303 students and 12 teachers were affected.

Yohanna said, “After we left the school at Papiri, we decided to make calls, do a verification exercise, and do further enquiries on those we had thought escaped successfully, only to discover that 88 more students were also captured after they tried to escape.

“Our attention was drawn to when some parents whose children we had thought escaped from the attack also came asking about their children. We became curious, and that was when we did a census and discovered that they were abducted.” (Channnels)

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Pope Leo welcomes Hollywood stars to the Vatican

Pope Leo has held an audience with Hollywood stars, urging actors and directors including Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen and Monica Bellucci to continue their work as “pilgrims of the imagination”, helping to “bring hope”.

The celebrity meeting was a sprinkling of star dust for a still relatively new pope and a way for the Catholic Church to engage more with the world beyond.

It was also a strong show of support from Leo XIV for the global film industry, as he spoke out against the “troubling decline” in cinema-going.

Hailed by director Spike Lee as a “great day”, the gathering was the first of its kind in the Vatican.

Beneath the magnificent frescoes of the Clementine Hall, Pope Leo spoke in Italian to praise the power of cinema to entertain and to educate – and for its “capacity to amaze”.

But he urged filmmakers not to shy away from what he called “the world’s wounds”.

“Violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction and forgotten wars are issues that need to be acknowledged and narrated,” the Pope said. “Good cinema does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it. This is what all the great directors have done.”

Six months since a conclave of cardinals elected the first North American to the Papacy, some Catholics feel that Leo has been slow to stamp his own mark on the role.

His predecessor, Francis, was a charismatic Argentinian known for his off-the-cuff comments and dramatic gestures. Leo’s style is far quieter, so this star-studded engagement is a new look.

It’s not clear how the cast list was drawn up, although none of the directors in the hall – who came from all over the world – made it onto the Pope’s own top film list.

This week, the Vatican revealed that his favourite four watches of all time included the 1960s nun-themed classic The Sound of Music, It’s a Wonderful Life and Italian Roberto Benigni’s multi award-winning Life is Beautiful.

Among those who did join today’s A-list audience were Mortensen, Chris Pine and filmmaker Gus Van Sant – of Milk and Good Will Hunting fame. The large Italian contingent included Gianni Amelio and Cinema Paradiso creator, Giuseppe Tornatore.

At a time of immense pressure on film, not long after a major Hollywood strike and with funding strains here in Italy, the Pope spoke in defence of the industry.

He was applauded loudly when he talked of the “quiet dedication” of all those behind the scenes with vital roles.

He also warned against the closure of cinemas which he characterised as the “beating heart of communities”.

“More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity,” the Pope said.

After a fifteen-minute speech and a blessing he then received each audience member in turn, led by Blanchett.

“He really urged us to go back into our day jobs and inspire people,” the Australian-born star told reporters.

One of many who came bearing gifts, the actress – who works with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR – placed a woven bracelet in the Pope’s hand. “It was a bracelet I wear in solidarity with people who are displaced,” she explained later.

Lee handed the Chicago-born Pope a New York Knicks shirt printed with the number 14 and the words Pope Leo. (BBC)