The Archbishop of Westminster, Dr Cormac Murphy O'Connor (68), yesterday described his appointment as one of 37 new cardinals as a "great honour" for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
After learning of the appointment as he prepared to celebrate Mass at a church in Stepney, east London, he welcomed Pope John Paul's decision as "a sign of the warmth that exists in the relationship between the Holy See and the Catholic communities in these countries."
He said the position of archbishop was a "very responsible" one, but as a cardinal he would have extra responsibilities because he would become part of a college of cardinals advising Pope John Paul and, eventually, electing his successor. All previous archbishops of Westminster have been created cardinals and Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor admitted that it would have been "a great pity" if that practice had not continued.
Installed as Archbishop of Westminster last year, succeeding Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor leads a church of about 4.1 million members. His family comes from Cork and through the work of his ministries in Britain he has become a popular figure in the church.
The Catholic weekly, the Tablet, described him last year as "everyone's favourite bishop, human, genial, collaborative, imposing."
His promotion, at the relatively late age of 67, was seen by some as a signal from the Vatican that his appointment was transitional (he is expected to retire at 75), providing the Catholic Church with time to consider a longer-term candidate.
Nearly a year in office, Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor has courted controversy. Shortly after his appointment he refused to resign over the case of a paedophile priest. But in an effort to address criticisms he has overseen the appointment of the former judge, Lord Nolan, to review the church's procedures for dealing with accusations against priests.
A programme is also under way in some parts of England to work with the police to scrutinise all appointments, including of priests, church helpers and youth workers.
He has resolutely refused to live up to labels and insists the terms liberal and conservative do not apply to him.
"If by a liberal you mean someone who is open to all new things that come along then I am not," he told journalists when he was appointed archbishop.
"I am a Catholic bishop who respects the traditions of the church. If by a conservative you mean someone who is a rigid fundamentalist, then I am not that either. I am a man of the church."