The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, is to be made a
Cardinal, Pope Francis has announced.
He is among 19 senior clerics from around the world chosen to join the highest
rank of Catholic clergy.
He is also among 16 new Cardinals eligible to become part of the secret Conclave which will elect the next Pope.
He is also among 16 new Cardinals eligible to become part of the secret Conclave which will elect the next Pope.
The Archbishop was the first non-Vatican cleric to be named in a list read out
by the Pope at his weekly Sunday appearance in St Peter's Square.
The clerics, who will receive their distinctive red hats at a Consistory in
Rome next month, are the first to be made Cardinals by Pope Francis, since
his election last year.
His nomination, almost five years after he succeeded Cardinal Cormac
Murphy-O'Connor as leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales,
was widely expected.
But it is significant that, in a list of dominated by figures from the
developing world, he was one of only two Europeans, other than those already
holding senior offices in the Holy See, to receive the honour.
An announcement by the Vatican before Christmas appointing him to the powerful Vatican body which chooses bishops was seen as a signal that he was in line to receive the honour.
It confirms his position as the most senior Catholic cleric in Britain and arguably the country's most powerful churchman of any denomination.
He said: “Today, I am deeply moved by the honour conferred upon the Catholic Church in England and Wales and on the Diocese of Westminster in my appointment as Cardinal by His Holiness Pope Francis. The Catholic Church in our countries has always had a profound and loving loyalty to the Holy Father, the Successor of St Peter. This appointment enables me, on behalf of all, to serve the Pope in a direct and prolonged way.
"Personally, this is a humbling moment when I am asked to take a place in this service of the Holy See and in the line of much loved Cardinal Archbishops of Westminster. I seek the blessing of Almighty God for these new responsibilities and I ask for the prayers of all people of faith that I may fulfil them with energy and devotion.”
Although all of his predecessors as Archbishop of Westminster have been Cardinals, convention prevented Archbishop Nichols being elevated to the rank while his immediate Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was under the age of 80 and therefore capable of voting in the Conclave.
The timing of Pope Benedict's resignation in February last year, just a few months after Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's birthday, combined with the disgrace of Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, meant there was no British voice in last year's Conclave.
Among those who praised the appointment were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, who said: "I am absolutely delighted by this well deserved appointment.
“Archbishop Nichols has demonstrated clear leadership, personal holiness and immense generosity. This strengthens the church in this country.”
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said it was “wonderful news both for Archbishop Vincent personally and for the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales”.
He added: “It is also good to see that as a passionate fan of Liverpool FC Archbishop Vincent will be getting a red hat to go with his precious red shirt.”
Bishop Angaelos, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox church in the UK, and Baroness Warsi, the UK's first Muslim Cabinet minister, were among those who posted messages of congratulations on Twitter.
The honour will be seen as a reward for Archbishop Nichol’s handling of Pope Benedict’s highly successful visit to the UK in 2010 as well as his outspoken opposition to David Cameron over gay marriage.
But the delay in elevating Archbishop Nichols to be a “prince of the Church” under Pope Benedict also led to speculation that the Vatican was dissatisfied at the existence of the so-called “Soho masses”, the fortnightly services for gay and lesbian Catholics, held in London.
Archbishop Nichols ended the masses last year, by announcing that the church where they were held, Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Warwick Street, would be the new home of the Ordniariate, the branch of the Catholic Church for former Anglicans.
By far the oldest of the new appointments was 98-year-old Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla, who served as personal secretary to John XXIII, known as the “good Pope” who instituted the reforming Second Vatican Council and is due to be made a saint alongside John Paul II.
Ten of the appointments, over half, hail from Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa.
The Argentine pope named six cardinals from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Brazil, Nicaragua, Haiti, Chile, and the island of Saint Lucia.
He also selected Mario Aurelio Poli, his successor as archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina when he was elected pope in March.
Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso represent Africa, while archbishops were also nominated from the Philippines and Korea.
The new appointments boost the number of Central and Southern American cardinal electors to 19 in the 122 strong college of cardinals, no match for the 61 electors from Europe – including 29 Italians – but more than the 15 North Americans.
Africa and Asia now have 13 cardinal electors each.
An announcement by the Vatican before Christmas appointing him to the powerful Vatican body which chooses bishops was seen as a signal that he was in line to receive the honour.
It confirms his position as the most senior Catholic cleric in Britain and arguably the country's most powerful churchman of any denomination.
He said: “Today, I am deeply moved by the honour conferred upon the Catholic Church in England and Wales and on the Diocese of Westminster in my appointment as Cardinal by His Holiness Pope Francis. The Catholic Church in our countries has always had a profound and loving loyalty to the Holy Father, the Successor of St Peter. This appointment enables me, on behalf of all, to serve the Pope in a direct and prolonged way.
"Personally, this is a humbling moment when I am asked to take a place in this service of the Holy See and in the line of much loved Cardinal Archbishops of Westminster. I seek the blessing of Almighty God for these new responsibilities and I ask for the prayers of all people of faith that I may fulfil them with energy and devotion.”
Although all of his predecessors as Archbishop of Westminster have been Cardinals, convention prevented Archbishop Nichols being elevated to the rank while his immediate Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was under the age of 80 and therefore capable of voting in the Conclave.
The timing of Pope Benedict's resignation in February last year, just a few months after Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's birthday, combined with the disgrace of Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, meant there was no British voice in last year's Conclave.
Among those who praised the appointment were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, who said: "I am absolutely delighted by this well deserved appointment.
“Archbishop Nichols has demonstrated clear leadership, personal holiness and immense generosity. This strengthens the church in this country.”
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said it was “wonderful news both for Archbishop Vincent personally and for the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales”.
He added: “It is also good to see that as a passionate fan of Liverpool FC Archbishop Vincent will be getting a red hat to go with his precious red shirt.”
Bishop Angaelos, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox church in the UK, and Baroness Warsi, the UK's first Muslim Cabinet minister, were among those who posted messages of congratulations on Twitter.
The honour will be seen as a reward for Archbishop Nichol’s handling of Pope Benedict’s highly successful visit to the UK in 2010 as well as his outspoken opposition to David Cameron over gay marriage.
But the delay in elevating Archbishop Nichols to be a “prince of the Church” under Pope Benedict also led to speculation that the Vatican was dissatisfied at the existence of the so-called “Soho masses”, the fortnightly services for gay and lesbian Catholics, held in London.
Archbishop Nichols ended the masses last year, by announcing that the church where they were held, Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Warwick Street, would be the new home of the Ordniariate, the branch of the Catholic Church for former Anglicans.
By far the oldest of the new appointments was 98-year-old Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla, who served as personal secretary to John XXIII, known as the “good Pope” who instituted the reforming Second Vatican Council and is due to be made a saint alongside John Paul II.
Ten of the appointments, over half, hail from Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa.
The Argentine pope named six cardinals from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Brazil, Nicaragua, Haiti, Chile, and the island of Saint Lucia.
He also selected Mario Aurelio Poli, his successor as archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina when he was elected pope in March.
Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso represent Africa, while archbishops were also nominated from the Philippines and Korea.
The new appointments boost the number of Central and Southern American cardinal electors to 19 in the 122 strong college of cardinals, no match for the 61 electors from Europe – including 29 Italians – but more than the 15 North Americans.
Africa and Asia now have 13 cardinal electors each.