In a significant restructuring of English-speaking Catholic leadership, Pope Leo XIV announced the appointment of Bishop Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster on Friday. The 67-year-old prelate will succeed Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who is retiring at 80 after leading the largest British diocese in terms of Catholic population and clerical numbers.
This appointment follows closely on the heels of another major leadership change: Bishop Ronald Hicks, 58, was named yesterday to replace Cardinal Timothy Dolan as Archbishop of New York, one of America’s most prominent archdioceses. Both outgoing cardinals had held their influential positions since 2009, appointed during Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy.
The transitions signal a deliberate generational shift within the Church hierarchy. Pope Leo has emphasized his commitment to enforcing the standard retirement age of 75 for bishops more consistently, viewing this as essential for revitalizing Church leadership. While acknowledging possible two-year extensions in exceptional cases, the Pontiff stated last month that the Church must “constantly renew itself” to address contemporary challenges and prevent “inertia from slowing necessary change.”
Bishop Moth brings a diverse background to his new role. Born in Chingola, Zambia, he previously served as bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015 and as bishop to the British armed forces. He now assumes leadership of Westminster Cathedral, considered the mother church for Catholics in England and Wales.
In related developments, Pope Leo accepted the resignation of 75-year-old Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach, Florida, appointing Reverend Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez as his successor. Father Rodriguez currently pastors Our Lady of Sorrows church in Queens, New York—the largest parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn with 17,000 congregants in a predominantly Hispanic community that suffered devastating losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cardinal Dolan’s retirement concluded his tenure shortly after he finalized a $300 million settlement fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse, addressing one of the Church’s most pressing challenges.