A chain-smoking archbishop could be the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Cardiff, is emerging as a strong candidate to succeed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor when he retires in the new year.
According to sources in Rome, Archbishop Smith, 65, is being pushed for the key post by the Vatican’s ambassador in London, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, whose main role is to advise Pope Benedict XVI on appointments.
Archbishop Smith is believed to have the backing of Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor and has already impressed the Vatican by handling Church campaigns against abortion, euthanasia and gay adoption.
Insiders believe that he will top a secret shortlist of three or four to be submitted to Rome by the Spanish-born ambassador in the next few weeks.
The ultimate decision rests with the Pope but the advice of Archbishop Munoz carries huge weight.
Archbishop Smith’s appointment to lead the country’s 4.3million Catholics would surprise many as 63-year-old Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham has been the clear favourite.
Bookmaker Paddy Power still makes Archbishop Nichols the front runner at 13/8, with Archbishop Smith at 16/1.
Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor offered his resignation when he reached the retirement age of 75 in August 2007 but was asked to stay on until a replacement was found. Insiders said the search has taken so long because the ambassador does not want the shortlist rejected.
It will be submitted before Christmas to the Vatican department responsible for selecting bishops, which will recommend just one name to the Pope. He can accept it or ask for alternatives.
Both Archbishops are competent TV performers, in contrast to the at times faltering Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor.
Archbishop Nichols is in charge of Catholic education and fought off Government attempts to impose a quota of non-Christian pupils on church schools.
Archbishop Smith is responsible for moral issues. Both inherited Archdioceses that had been hit by child abuse scandals. A blot on Archbishop Smith’s record is his mistake in approving a book that questioned Christ’s resurrection, for which he was upbraided by the Vatican.
Others tipped for the post include Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, 58, and 55-year-old Abbot Hugh Gilbert of the Benedictine Pluscarden Abbey at Elgin in the Scottish Highlands.
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(Source: TTCN)