The new Archbishop of Southwark has been named by the Pope as the Most Rev Peter Smith, from south London.Archbishop Smith, until now Archbishop of Cardiff, will take over the post on June 10.
He was named the 10th Archbishop of Southwark by Pope Benedict XVI, and was ordained priest in the archdiocese in 1972.
He succeeds the Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark, the Most Rev Kevin McDonald, who resigned from the post in 2009.
The 66-year-old, who was born in Battersea, became Bishop of East Anglia in 1995 and transferred to Cardiff in 2001.
Archbishop Smith said: "After eight very happy years in the Archdiocese of Cardiff, I am very sad to be leaving Wales. I shall never forget the warmth and generosity of the people of Wales, not only the Catholic community but so many others, and their great sense of humour and cheerfulness.
"My experience of the Archdiocese is that the spirit of St David is still very much alive and summed up in his dying words: 'Be joyful, keep the faith'."
"However, my sadness at leaving is tempered by the prospect of returning to my roots in south London and going home to the Archdiocese in which I was born and for which I was ordained a priest in 1972.
"I am very much looking forward to that and to serving the people, religious, deacons and priests of the Archdiocese of Southwark as their Bishop. It is good to be returning home, although I feel there is part of me which will always have a second home in Wales."
The current diocesan administrator in Southwark, Bishop John Hine, said the people of the Archdiocese were "delighted" Archbishop Smith was returning.
He said: "He is, of course, well known to so many of us and we can hardly believe our good fortune that he will back here leading us at this very significant phase of our diocesan story."
Archbishop Smith will be installed at St George's Cathedral, Southwark, on June 10.
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