Archbishop Longley installed in Birmingham
By Peter Jennings

11 December 2009

Archbishop Bernard Longley with his father, Fred Longley, aged 81, and his sister, Kathleen Lloyd, in the cathedral after Vespers

Archbishop Bernard Longley was installed as the ninth Archbishop of Birmingham on Tuesday in St Chad’s Cathedral.

In his homily the archbishop pointed to the “wonderful example” of Blessed Dominic Barberi and Cardinal John Henry Newman in responding to God’s call. He said he was very conscious that the archdiocese, “the heart of England”, had a “long and rich history” and a “distinctive vocation to make Jesus Christ present”. His installation was attended by more than 600 people, including more than 325 priests and most of the hierarchy of England and Wales.

Among his personal guests were his father, Fred Longley, 81, and his sister, Kathleen Lloyd.

The Mass took place on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Archbishop Longley said the feast “makes us aware of the power of Christ at work within us, as individuals and as communities, when we are least aware of it”. It reminds us, he said, through Mary’s example, “of the Church’s calling to be holy and to bear Christ to the world”.

He then paid tribute to his predecessor, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, who earlier in the ceremony had handed to him the crozier of Bishop William Bernard Ullathorne, OSB, the first Bishop of Birmingham.

Archbishop Longley said: “I am grateful, and it was so fitting, that Archbishop Vincent should hand on to me the pastoral staff of Bishop Ullathorne. Over the last six months I have been blessed to work with Archbishop Vincent as one of his auxiliary bishops in Westminster. It has enabled me to glimpse something of his deep affection for this archdiocese, its priests and people, and to see how he has guided and invigorated its mission since he arrived here in 2000.”

He then spoke about the example of Blessed Dominic Barberi and Cardinal Newman.“Blessed Dominic Barberi was so driven by God’s call that he saw from an early age that he must leave his native Viterbo and come to England to preach the Gospel where Catholic faith was beginning to flourish again. We know how hard he worked in Stone in Staffordshire and how his dedicated life as a priest so touched and influenced Cardinal John Henry Newman and helped Newman to find the future direction of his own life and work,” he said.

“In the remarkable year ahead when we prepare for his beatification, we will be influenced by the way that Cardinal Newman responded both within the Church of England and in the Catholic Church to the call from God: ‘Where are you?’ His Apologia Pro Vita Sua makes plain his diligent and unselfish search for truth in his own life and for the world, and his hymn ‘Lead Kindly Light’ sums up his complete confidence in the guiding hand of God.

“During this Year for Priests Cardinal Newman and Blessed Dominic offer us two wonderful, complementary examples of how to be faithful to the path of life mapped out for us in God’s providence when we were ordained.”

The Archbishop spoke of how pleased he was when he arrived in Birmingham to see posters advertising the Nativity Trail at the city’s Museum and Art Gallery, where visitors view a series of paintings telling the story of Christ’s birth.

He said: “I felt so encouraged to see this prominent institution, with the support of the city council, enabling the story at the heart of Christian faith to be experienced and appreciated through the beauty and the message of great works of art in public ownership. I am grateful that our civic leaders have been able to join us today.”

Archbishop Longley concluded by recalling the experience of Bishop Ullathorne. “As a teenager he experienced something that changed the whole course of his life when far from home in the Baltic port of Memel, modern-day Klaipeda. Through the faith and devotion of the local people at Mass he felt God’s power claiming his own life. As I visit the parishes and school of our archdiocese in the years ahead I pray that I too may continue to be moved by the faith and witness of our priests and people and always open, after the example of Our Lady, to the claim of God upon my life. Please continue to pray for me.”

Earlier in the ceremony Archbishop-elect Longley had arrived at the west door of the cathedral to a crescendo of sound as everyone started singing Cardinal Newman’s hymn “Praise to the Holiest in the height”, set to music by Elgar.

He was led to the cathedral and, after the reading of the apostolic letter, was handed the crozier symbolising the office of bishop. At this point the congregation stood and applauded. Before the final blessing the congregation was addressed by Archbishop Nichols, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz, the nuncio, and Cardinal Cormac-Murphy-O’Connor.

Archbishop Nichols said that Archbishop Longley, who is 54, was still “quite young”.

“He will grow, I know, to be a really great archbishop of this diocese. so welcome him, treasure him, and support him as you did me, so that together this diocese may grow in the blessings and love of the Lord.”

The archbishop-elect, before he came into the cathedral, visited the Grimshaw Room and spoke to more than 100 people who watched the ceremony via close-circuit television.

Afterwards he made his way to the nearby Salvation Army citadel, where he greeted an overflow congregation of more than 200 parishioners who had also watched the ceremony on screen.

The evening before the installation Archbishop-elect Longley had presided over a Solemn Vespers attended by more than 200 religious priests, brothers and nuns. During his homily the archbishop-elect said he looked forward to supporting the religious in the archdiocese.

He said that religious vocation “is at the heart of the Church and yet it will very often take you out to the margins, the edge where you provide welcome and support for some of the most needy people in our society. The experience of religious life will often dispose you to serve together the needs of those who are marginalised or vulnerable, understanding what will help the very young or the dependant elderly.”

No tickets were required to attend this service and parishioners took the opportunity to join the religious to pray with and meet their new archbishop-elect.