The Church in England and Wales – Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Patrick Kelly

Around five million Catholics live in England and Wales, and estimated eight percent of the population, spread across twenty-two dioceses, five of which are Archdiocese: Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Southwark and Westminster.

The Archbishop of Westminster is the effective primate of the Catholic Church in England and also the President of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales. In February 2010, the current Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols led his fellow bishops on their Ad Limina visit to Rome, shortly before the official announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s first historic Apostolic Voyage to Scotland England and Wales.

During the pilgrimage, both Archbishop Nichols and Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool took time out to speak to us about the Catholic Church in England and Wales today, it’s identity, it’s hopes and the challenges it faces: Hear more: