Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
We celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate on Friday, 8 May 2026. A year ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the successor of St Peter and 267th Bishop of Rome after just four ballots of the conclave.
New president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Archbishop Richard Moth, reflects on the messages and themes of his pontificate so far:
“On this first anniversary of his election, I join in offering congratulations to Pope Leo XIV. Since his election, he has been a clear and consistent voice calling us to share the peace of Christ. He has reminded us that true peace is not simply the product of human effort but a gift of the Holy Spirit. To work for peace, therefore, is an act of evangelisation."
On Thursday, 7th May, residents of Taybeh, the last entirely Palestinian Christian village in the West Bank, reported that Israeli settlers stormed their land and established a new illegal outpost. Residents also said settlers threatened to kill those returning to their property and later seized a nearby quarry.
Bishop Jim Curry visited Taybeh earlier this year as part of the Holy Land Coordination and celebrated Mass with the parish community at Christ the Redeemer Church. Responding to the reports, he said:
“When I visited Taybeh in January, I was deeply concerned to learn about the rising tide of settler attacks carried out in and around the village. This recent attack highlights the continued plight of the Christians, and their neighbours, who belong to the land and only wish to live in peace with dignity.”
At a Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday, 5 May, Archbishop Richard Moth invested Sir Edward Leigh MP, Father of the House of Commons, as a Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great.
Mr Paul Moynihan, the Archbishop of Westminster’s Master of Ceremonies, was promoted to Knight Commander of St Gregory by Pope Leo XIV on the nomination of the Westminster Chapter of Canons supported by Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
The 20th annual Mass for Migrants took place at St Antony’s Catholic Church in Forest Gate in East London on Bank Holiday Monday, 4 May. The vibrant celebration, jointly marked by the Dioceses of Brentwood, Southwark, and Westminster, started at midday with a procession of banners.
Preaching at his first Mass for Migrants as Archbishop of Westminster, Archbishop Richard Moth encouraged us to rejoice in the ‘freshness’ and ‘newness’ brought by those who travel to our countries.
This episode sees us discuss the Bishops’ plenary assembly and ongoing formation week in Rome that saw Archbishop Richard Moth, twelfth Archbishop of Westminster, elected President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
Abbot Hugh Allan O.Praem, Director of Mission and our regular studio guest, talks to us about Pope Leo and his Augustinian charism as we approach the first anniversary of the Holy Father’s pontificate. The conversation then turns to Easter and this special time as we approach Pentecost.
May 2026
The Month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church. This May, Archbishop John Wilson is calling on you to join him in praying the Rosary for Life – offering our prayers for those facing the gravest threats to life in our society today.
The Rosary for Life is prayed through the Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous and Glorious Mysteries, each one offered for the most vulnerable in our society: unborn children at risk of abortion, victims of war and persecution, people with disabilities, and the elderly and vulnerable.
This prayer campaign comes at a critical moment, as proposals in Parliament to permit abortion up to birth and the consistent attempts to legalise assisted suicide pose a grave threat to human life. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to be a voice for the voiceless and a beacon of his love and peace.
15 May 2026
Cartias Social Action Network (CSAN) has opened bookings for a one-day symposium reflecting on the enduring relevance of Rerum Novarum (1891) and its vision for the dignity of work in the 21st century.
Now, 135 years after Pope Leo XIII’s landmark social encyclical, we gather to examine how its principles speak into contemporary economic realities: automation, the gig economy, low pay, migration, social care, and the future of work.
17 May 2026
The theme for this year's World Day of Social Communications, chosen by Pope Leo, is 'Preserving Human Voices and Faces'.
"In today’s communication ecosystems, technology influences interactions more than ever before – from algorithms curating news feeds to AI authoring entire texts and conversations."
16 June 2026
A study and networking day from the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice.
As we eagerly await Pope Leo XIV’s first social encyclical, we have decided to dedicate our study day this year to a related theme. The day will explore the themes of the new text, which we hope will be available by then, and the timely subject of remaining fully human in an era marked by digital, AI and other technological realities.
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St George's Roman Catholic Church