Archbishop of Birmingham named as head of Catholics in England and Wales

The Archbishop of Birmingham has been named as the new head of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales.

The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, pictured, who has held the post in Birmingham since March 2000, ended speculation by being confirmed as the new Archbishop of Westminster.

Archbishop Nichols, 63, succeeds Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor following his retirement as leader of Catholics in England and Wales.

He will formally be installed in the post in London on May 21, after which the process will begin to appoint a new Archbishop of Birmingham, which could take up to nine months.

Archbishop Nichols had been tipped as a potential successor to replace Cardinal Basil Hume when he died in 1999, but was passed over for Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, 76.