Good Appointment in Birmingham

I think that we can be well pleased with the Holy Father's choice for the see of Birmingham. It was announced today that Bishop Bernard Longley, Auxiliary in Westminster, will be moving to the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

Bishop Longley is considered orthodox, and is known to be reasonably sympathetic to the traditionalist point of view. He is also well educated, having an Oxford degree.

This is an imaginative appointment, bypassing several bishops who are already ordinaries in their dioceses, and might have considered themselves ripe for promotion.