From The London Guardian-
So, Benedict XVI has appointed a relatively junior man as Archbishop of Birmingham and Vincent Nichols' successor.
In a move that will stun many, several talented alternative candidates were passed over in favour of Longley, who will hold the second highest office in English Catholicism. One seasoned observer told me today that Pope Benedict may have started in England a European pattern of jumping a generation in key episcopal appointments to advance a new and more conservative team. He insisted that Longley's appointment marks such a shift.
And yet for those who have known Longley for many years his promotion will come as no surprise. Ordained by Cormac Murphy O'Connor to work in the English south-east, he spent nearly 10 years in Surrey teaching in a seminary with the now Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff. Given the closeness of these two men to the Papal Nuncio (who has a key role in episcopal appointments), Longley will not have wanted for patrons. Meanwhile, the outgoing senior management of the Catholic Bishops' Conference secretariat was overflowing with enthusiasm at news of his appointment earlier this week. Bishop Longley's preferment, however, is not simply down to his clerical friendships. It also rests on assiduous pastoral work at the local level.
Last week he and I shared a conference platform to discuss pastoral and policy responses to the needs of the UK's new migrant workers, and the rapidly increasing ethnic minority presence in urban Catholic parishes. He was on good form, expressing the sorts of kind, encouraging and thoughtful sentiments that I had seen when we had both been trustees of the Cardinal Hume Centre for the young homeless.
More here-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/oct/01/religion-catholicism
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