Bishop Richard Moth, a name familiar in British Catholic circles, has been propelled into the national spotlight following his appointment as the 12th Archbishop of Westminster. The announcement, made on Friday, December 19, 2025, by Pope Leo, signals not just a change in leadership for England and Wales’ largest Catholic diocese but also marks a broader generational shift within the English-speaking Catholic hierarchy. Moth, who has served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015, will officially take up his new post at Westminster Cathedral on February 14, 2026, succeeding Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who retires after 16 years at the helm.
The transition comes at a time of significant change and renewal for the Catholic Church. According to Reuters, Pope Leo’s decision to appoint Moth follows a recent wave of leadership changes, including the replacement of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as Archbishop of New York just a day earlier. The Vatican’s renewed commitment to enforcing the 75-year retirement age for bishops, a policy Pope Leo has vowed to uphold more vigorously, underscores the Church’s desire to inject new energy and perspectives into its leadership ranks. As Pope Leo remarked to Italian bishops last month, “We must prevent inertia from slowing necessary change, even for good intentions.”
Moth’s own journey to this pivotal role is marked by a blend of international roots and deep local engagement. Born in Chingola, Zambia, in 1958, he moved to England at an early age and was ordained a priest in June 1982. His career has spanned a variety of roles, from serving as the Catholic Bishop of the Forces—ministering to the British armed forces between 2009 and 2015—to chairing the board of governors at St Mary’s University in Twickenham and acting as liaison bishop for prisons. Moth’s reputation for social engagement is well-earned; he has been outspoken on issues such as prison management and social justice, and, as reported by The Guardian, he enjoys horse riding and walking in his spare time.
Addressing reporters after his appointment was announced, Moth acknowledged the weight of responsibility that comes with his new position. “It’s a much bigger platform, and that’s going to be rather unique, and I look forward to it,” he said, according to Reuters. He also admitted to feeling “a little bit of sense of apprehension about it,” noting that the move represents “a very big change” for him personally. Nevertheless, he expressed deep gratitude to Pope Leo for the trust placed in him, stating, “I am moved greatly by the trust that Pope Leo has placed in me. I look forward to continuing the great adventure that is the life of the Church and witness to the Gospel.”
Moth’s appointment comes at a time when Catholicism is experiencing notable growth among younger generations in England and Wales. A Bible Society/YouGov report cited by Reuters and The Times found that, in 2025, 41% of churchgoers aged 18–34 identified as Catholic, compared to just 20% who said they were Anglican—a reversal of trends seen in 2018. This demographic shift coincides with a period of warming ties between the Vatican and London, exemplified by the historic joint prayer of King Charles and Pope Leo in the Sistine Chapel earlier this year—the first such event between an English monarch and a Catholic pontiff in nearly five centuries.
Throughout his career, Moth has made it clear that he intends to use his platform to address pressing social issues. Just days before his appointment was announced, he issued a statement calling for empathy toward migrants seeking safety in the UK, an intervention that followed a controversial carol concert in London led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Moth’s message, delivered jointly with Archbishop Bernard Longley, expressed concern about rising societal tensions and divisions, emphasizing that such discord “does not reflect the spirit or message of Christmas.”
When asked how he plans to approach contentious topics like migration and assisted dying, Moth was unequivocal about the Church’s role in public life. “The Church can always speak into the situation, provided, as a Christian community, we are authentic to ourselves. I can’t pretend to be what I am not, I wouldn’t want to. Neither can the community of the Church. The issue is how we say things. And again, it goes back to relationship. It’s about listening. It’s about speaking truth in a way that is charitable, even if it might not be accepted.”
Moth also inherits a diocese still grappling with the legacy of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report, published in November 2020. The report found that Cardinal Nichols, his predecessor, had “seemingly put the reputation of the church” above his duty to victims of abuse and demonstrated “no acknowledgement of any personal responsibility to lead or influence change.” These findings sparked calls for Nichols’ resignation, though he remained in office at the request of the then-Pope Francis. Reflecting on this chapter, Moth praised Nichols’ recent efforts to improve safeguarding within the Church. “In my view, the commitment of the Catholic community in this country to safeguarding is clear,” Moth said, adding that he has “always been ready to meet with survivors, and will always be ready to meet with survivors.”
Cardinal Nichols, for his part, welcomed the news of Moth’s appointment, describing him as someone who would “bring to our diocese many gifts and considerable episcopal experience from his years of ministry.” Nichols, who participated in his first papal conclave earlier this year, leaves a mixed legacy—marked by both his long service and the controversies that dogged his later years.
Moth’s ecumenical outlook is another defining feature of his leadership style. He has already reached out to Sarah Mullally, who will soon become the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, to discuss issues of social justice. “The ecumenical sphere is not strange to me,” he remarked, hinting at a willingness to foster greater dialogue and cooperation between Christian denominations at a time when such collaboration is increasingly important.
As he prepares to take up his new post, Moth faces a Church in flux—one that is growing in youthful energy, confronting its past, and seeking to remain relevant in a rapidly changing society. His installation at Westminster Cathedral on February 14 promises to be both a symbolic and practical turning point for Catholics in England and Wales. With his blend of compassion, experience, and commitment to social justice, Bishop Richard Moth is poised to lead his flock through both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
For many, the new archbishop’s arrival signals not just a change of guard, but a renewed sense of purpose and openness—qualities that may well define the next chapter of Catholic life in Britain.
