British bishops 'overjoyed' by election of Pope Leo XIV

Bishops across Britain have today welcomed the election of Pope Leo XIV.

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, the Apostolic Administrator of Liverpool and vice-president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said the election of the Chicago-born pontiff filled him with “a profound sense of joy”.

He said: “We as the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Liverpool pledge our closeness in prayer and our support to Our Holy Father the Pope.”

In Birmingham, Archbishop Bernard Longley said he also welcomed “the wonderful news of the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV”.