Bishop of Northampton David Oakley, who is understood to be among the top candidates being considered to succeed Cardinal Vincent Nichols as Archbishop of Westminster, has taken leave of absence “for personal reasons”.
Bishop Oakley, 69, an episcopal advisor for Catholic Charismatic Renewal in England and Wales and former rector of Oscott, stepped back in mid-September. He appointed the diocesan vicar general to take over running the diocese.
Soon after, Pope Leo XIV appointed an Italian Carmelite and canon lawyer, Archbishop Filippo Iannone O Carm, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Born in Stourbridge, near Birmingham, the eldest of five, Bishop Oakley left school with no A levels and worked in retail at a large department store before entering Oscott as a seminarian in 1974.
He was ordained priest 45 years ago and served across several parishes in Birmingham archdiocese before returning to Oscott as pastoral director and procurator. He did further studies at Maynooth and was appointed rector at Oscott in 2013.
He was consecrated Bishop of Northampton, one of the smallest dioceses in the province, by Cardinal Nichols in March 2020.
He is a popular and energetic bishop who has been a strong supporter of synodality and has encouraged every parish to have a pastoral council.
It was widely expected that a successor to Cardinal Nichols would have been announced by now, given that he is due to step down when he turns 80 on 8 November.
A Catholic spokesman said, “The Diocese of Northampton wishes to confirm that Bishop David Oakley has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons for the time being. Bishop David has appointed Canon Michael Harrison, Vicar General, to provisionally take on the governance of Northampton Diocese until such time Bishop David returns from his leave of absence.”