Pope Benedict has appointed Archbishop Vincent Nichols to be the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Vatican said today.
Dr Nichols (63) will become the new Archbishop of Westminster, succeeding Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (76) who is retiring.
Once considered too liberal, Archbishop Nichols, currently the Archbishop of Birmingham, has worked hard to portray himself as more conservative in recent years and supportive of the Vatican and the Pope.
Dr Nichols told reporters he "just swallowed hard and said yes" when he was asked to take on the new role.
He said he knew well the challenges and demands of the task ahead, having worked for eight years as an auxiliary bishop to the late Cardinal Basil Hume.
Traditionally, the Archbishop of Westminster is made a cardinal, meaning Archbishop Nichols would enter the elite group of the pope's closest advisers around the world.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor is the first Archbishop of Westminster to retire in the post since the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in the 19th century. He will stand down on May 21st.
Dr Nichols, who has been archbishop of the central English city of Birmingham since 2000, paid tribute to his predecessor's "robust leadership ... his openness and humility".
Dr Nichols will try to ensure "the church is always open to new frontiers" and he will use faith to bring together people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds living in Britain.
Cardinals under 80 can enter a secret conclave to choose a new pontiff. This mean that when he is made a cardinal Dr Nichols will almost certainly have a say in the election of the next leader of the 1.1 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
Dr Nichols studied at the Venerable English College in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1969.
He also studied at the Gregorian University in Rome, Manchester University and Loyola University in Chicago. Pope John Paul made him a bishop in 1992.
Described in the media as dynamic and energetic, he has spoken out on issues such as clerical paedophile abuse in Britain.
Dr Nichols was born in Liverpool, the son of teachers, and as a child wanted to be a lorry driver. He felt the calling to become a priest when he was a teenager.
Reuters