Pope Francis has appointed the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, to the Congregation for Bishops, among other new members. Archbishop Nichols was installed as the 11th Archbishop of Westminster, London, after Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor’s retirement. He is also President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales since 2009.
Archbishop Vincent said after his nomination on December 16th: “It is a privilege to assist in the important task of appointing Bishops and I am honoured to have been asked to undertake this role by Pope Francis. I look forward to making whatever contribution I can to the work of the Apostolic See.”
The Congregation for Bishops meets regularly on alternate Thursdays in Rome and has a key role in nominating priest to be bishops worldwide. The committee gives the pope a list of three names of priests whenever there is an opening of a bishop’s chair. The pope has authority to choose a name out of the three indicated, to request further discussion and evaluation or he can choose another name.
Pope Francis made a significant change in the membership of the Congregation for Bishops by appointing 12 new members and also by rejecting 14 of its existing members. His decision reflects his desire for a more pastoral-minded bishops and will certainly have an influence in shaping the episcopate worldwide.
