London – Upon reaching his eightieth birthday, Cardinal Vincent Gerard Nichols, Metropolitan Archbishop of Westminster, ceases to be a member of the College of Cardinal Electors, and therefore will no longer take part in a future Conclave. Thus comes to a close a significant chapter in the history of the British Church, marked by the presence of a pastor who has accompanied decades of transformation within both the Church and English society.
Born in Crosby, near Liverpool, on 8 November 1945, to Henry Joseph and Mary Russell, both teachers, Vincent Nichols felt the call to priesthood from an early age. After attending Saint Mary’s College in his hometown, in 1963 he moved to Rome, where he trained at the Venerable English College and studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining a licentiate in theology. He was ordained priest on 21 December 1969 for the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
In the following years, he continued his academic formation, earning a Master’s degree in Theology from the University of Manchester – with a thesis dedicated to Saint John Fisher – and a Master of Education from Loyola University Chicago. Upon returning to England, he served as chaplain and parish priest, devoting himself particularly to education and youth ministry. In 1980, he was appointed Director of the Upholland Northern Institute, a centre for clergy formation, and four years later became General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, a position he held until 1996.
From Birmingham to Westminster
On 5 November 1991, Saint John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Othona. He chose the episcopal motto Fortis ut mors dilectio – “Love is strong as death” (Ct 8:6) – which would become the interpretative key to his pastoral mission. In 2000, he was promoted Archbishop of Birmingham, where he encouraged ongoing formation for the clergy and launched spiritual accompaniment initiatives such as the Walk with Me programme. He took part in several Synods of Bishops and became a leading voice in safeguarding minors and promoting Catholic education. On 3 April 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Westminster, succeeding Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. From that moment, Nichols became the most authoritative voice of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and was elected President of the Bishops’ Conference.
That same year, he welcomed the Pope to London during the historic 2010 State Visit, contributing to the success of an event that marked a new chapter in relations between the Catholic Church and the British monarchy.
The Cardinalate and Universal Service
Pope Francis created him Cardinal on 22 February 2014, assigning him the title of the Most Holy Redeemer and Saint Alphonsus on Via Merulana. He has been a member of the Dicasteries for Bishops, for the Clergy, and for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and President of the Santa Marta Group, an international body established by the Popeto combat human trafficking.
Nichols took part in the Third Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family (2014) and in the Fourteenth Ordinary Assembly (2015), standing out for his balanced judgement and pastoral sensitivity. In 2025, he participated in the Conclave that elected His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
A Voice in Public Debate
Nichols has never hesitated to engage with British society on moral and political issues. He consistently defended the centrality of Catholic education and, while maintaining pastoral sensitivity, reaffirmed the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality. At the same time, he has been among the most outspoken critics of social inequality, condemning as “a disgrace” those policies that leave families and children in poverty.
The Closing of an Era
With his 80th birthday, Cardinal Nichols now leaves the ranks of cardinal electors, as stipulated by the Apostolic Letter Ingravescentem aetatem. He nevertheless remains Archbishop of Westminster until a successor is appointed, continuing his service to the Church with the same dedication that has marked his life.
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Silere non possum