Summary
Bishop Richard Moth, who will become the 12th Archbishop of Westminster on Saturday, is expected to be described as “the head of Britain’s Catholics” by secular media. However, he will only lead the Westminster archdiocese and may not be considered the sole Catholic leader for England and Wales due to Scotland’s separate bishops’ conference. The article provides a statistical snapshot of the state of the Church in England and Wales, noting that mass attendance has increased since the COVID pandemic but remains below pre-pandemic levels at around 575,453 weekly attendants. Despite this improvement, child baptisms have continued to decline, which is attributed to secularization. There are indications of a growing interest among adults in joining or renewing their faith; catechumens and candidates seeking reception into the Church have seen a rise. Bishop Moth expressed cautious optimism about these trends, emphasizing that they need sustained growth over several years before being considered genuine religious revival. In his diocese of Arundel and Brighton, more than 100 adult baptisms were recorded in one year, highlighting the growing interest among adults in Catholicism.
Key Topics
Bishop appointment, Mass attendance, New Catholics
