Why did Pope Leo choose a 'safe pair of hands' for Westminster?

The next Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth, will be installed in his cathedral on February 14. Bishop Moth, formerly of Arundel and Brighton, is seen as a ‘safe pair of hands’. But why didn’t the job go to a more charismatic figure, such as Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark? What does this low-key appointment tell us about Pope Leo’s vision for the Church? Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith, a moral theologian and priest of Arundel and Brighton – and friend of Holy Smoke , joins Damian Thompson for a frank and wide-ranging discussion about the problems facing the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Why did Pope Leo choose a 'safe pair of hands' for Westminster? is an episode from Holy Smoke by The Spectator.

This episode is 32:07 long.

This episode was published on Jan 31, 2026.

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