George Stack has been appointed the next Archbishop of Cardiff

The Rt Rev George Stack, an auxiliary bishop of Westminster, has been appointed the new Archbishop of Cardiff. This is good news for those who had raised concerns about the possibility that the current Bishop of Menevia, the Rt Rev Tom Burms sm, might have become the next Archbishop of Cardiff. Some reliable sources revealed earlier this year that Tom Burns was the chosen candidate for Cardiff, but nothing came of it. Maybe the Congregation for Bishops listened to the concerns regarding Tom Burns' suitability? Having said that, many would agree that Bishop Stack has been in line for promotion for some time, now.

I have a lot of time for Archbishop-elect Stack and have seen him hard at work in the Diocese of Westminster. He is still energetic and has a lot to offer the Church. It's about time he was given his own diocese, and his episcopal experience means that he is rightly qualified to lead a metropolitan archdiocese. Of course, George Stack does not speak Welsh, which might be problematic for him and the Church in Wales. Having said that, as long as the next Bishop of Wrexham is a Welsh-speaker, and George Stack is willing to learn the basics of the language, it shouldn't prove to be too much of a difficulty.

The BBC reports that Bishop Stack is "humbled and honoured at the trust Pope Benedict XVI" placed in him by appointing him as the seventh Archbishop of Cardiff. George Stack went on to say:

"Although I am sad to be leaving the archdiocese of Westminster, in which I have served as priest for 29 years and auxiliary bishop for 10 years, I look forward to serving the people and clergy of the church in Cardiff with love and faithfulness in the years that lie ahead."

According to the BBC, the Archbishop-elect also said he was aware of the "long and noble" history of Christianity in Wales and "the special gifts" the Celtic people bring to the universal Church. Having recently written to the Papal Nuncio about these matters, I am glad that the next Archbishop of Cardiff is aware of this real and important issue for the Catholic Church in Wales.

A few months ago, I wrote to the Congregation of Bishops to nominate Bishop Stack as a possible candidate for the Archdiocese of Cardiff, so am especially glad to see that Pope Benedict XVI chose him for this role.

Llongyfarchiadau Esgob Stack!

Links:

For Bishop Stack's biography, please see the Catholic Bishops' Conference's website

[Image: Bishop George Stack; source: Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales]