The newly appointed head of the Catholic Church in England compared Jesus, Mary and Joseph to immigrants who arrived in Britain.
Richard Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015, has called on Catholics to “show empathy with all who come to this country for their safety” after the Holy Family had to travel to Egypt as refugees.
On Friday, Pope Leo XIV announced him as the 12th Archbishop of Westminster.
The 67-year-old will succeed Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, who is retiring after 16 years in the role and will be installed in February.
Speaking to reporters after being named to the top post on Friday, he said the role would be a “very big change” for him but expressed his gratitude to the pope for trusting him to “continue the great work of the Church”.
He was also “a bit apprehensive about it” while he hoped the London-based position would be a “much bigger platform”.
Richard Moth, Archbishop-elect of Westminster, seated next to Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, left, speaks to the press in the throne room at Archbishop’s House in London – Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty
He issued a statement earlier this week on his role in social justice in the church, calling on people to “empathize with all who come to this country to protect themselves.”
The statement came days after far-right activist, Tommy Robinson, led a carol concert in London which he claimed was to “put Christ back in Christmas”.
Robinson described it as a “religious celebration” rather than a political event, but a priest sitting in the crowd on Saturday shouted that Jesus was a migrant.
A statement was issued on Wednesday by Archbishop-elect Moth, along with Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, to share “concerns about social tensions and divisions in our communities”.
Archbishop-elect Moth told reporters that he will continue to proclaim the Gospel, which has enabled the church community to “continue to insist on the proclamation of the dignity of the human person, to continue reminding society that everyone, no matter where they come from, has something to contribute”.
He said it was “a very good way to respond to some of the trends that we’re seeing.”
Asked about the issue of assisted dying, which Cardinal Nicholls spoke strongly about amid ongoing consideration of the draft law in parliament, Archbishop-elect Moth indicated that the Church always had a role to speak out on such matters.
He said: “The Church can always speak in a situation, provided, as a Christian community, we are authentic in ourselves.
“I am not what I am, I cannot be, I do not want to be. Neither can the church community.
“The issue is how we say things. And again, it comes back to relationships. It’s about listening. It’s about telling the truth in a way that’s charitable, even if it can’t be accepted.”
Richard Moth praises Pope for trusting him to ‘continue the great work of the Church’ – Henry Nicholas/AFP via Getty
Earlier this week, the archbishop-elect called for empathy for migrants in a joint statement with the Archbishop of Birmingham.
“We are concerned about the growing tension in society and the attempts by some groups to sow the seeds of division in our community,” they said. “It doesn’t reflect the spirit or message of Christmas.”
Earlier this year, Archbishop-elect Moth became the first bishop outside the London diocese to hold a Mass for migrants earlier this year.
During a mass meeting in May, he spoke about the Catholic Church’s teaching on the dignity of each person and the importance of “welcoming the stranger.”
He referred to the “prosperous contribution” that people born in countries around the world bring to Britain through skills, talents, experience and culture.
After the announcement, he said: “I am deeply moved by the faith that Pope Leo placed in me when he appointed me to the Diocese of Westminster.”
Archbishop-elect Moth was born in Zambia in 1958 and grew up in Kent. He was ordained a priest in June 1982 and went on to serve as the Catholic Bishop of the Army from 2009 to 2015.
He is Chair of the Social Justice Department for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and speaks regularly on social issues.
‘Big families are a blessing’
He has praised Labour’s decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap, saying “big families are a blessing” and saying the introduction of the cap has pushed many families into poverty.
Archbishop-elect Moth is chair of governors at St Mary’s University in Twickenham as well as liaison bishop for prisons, while he is said to enjoy riding and walking in his spare time.
“Serving the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton has given me the wonderful opportunity to share the mission of the Church with the faithful and clergy, and I am thankful for the many blessings of these 10 years,” he said.
“As I prepare to move into the Diocese, I am very grateful for the support Cardinal Vincent Nichols has given me at this time. He has given dedicated service to the Diocese and will be greatly missed.”
Cardinal Nicholls said he was “delighted at the news”, adding: “Archbishop-elect Richard Moth brings to our diocese many gifts and considerable episcopal experience from his years of ministry in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, and before that as Bishop of Legion.”
The 80-year-old Liverpudlian had offered his resignation, as is customary for cardinals to turn 75, but the late Pope Francis asked him to remain in office.
He came under fire at the time for a damning report on allegations of child sexual abuse.
In the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church (IICSA) report, published in November 2020, Cardinal Nicholl found that he “seems to put the reputation of the Church” above his duty to victims of sexual abuse.
It added that he had demonstrated “not accepting any personal responsibility for leading or influencing change”.
