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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/holy-smoke-637985/why-did-pope-leo-choose-a-safe-pair-of-hands-for-westminster
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/holy-smoke-637985/why-did-pope-leo-choose-a-safe-pair-of-hands-for-westminster.md
Podcast: [Holy Smoke](https://stenobird.com/podcast/holy-smoke-637985)
Published: 2026-01-31T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/holy-smoke/episodes/what-can-we-expect-from-the-new-archbishop-of-westminster
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6835905c2780b226c72e9d0d/e/697c9f83f0f157225a3f9ce7/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=qOag6stNa5CrjlEi03oz4vJgiqkQ9JDejf9CIBlWEzA
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Duration seconds: 1927

## Resource

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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## Transcript

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