The Archbishop of Cardiff is the Ordinary

Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

 of the Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 Archdiocese of Cardiff

Archdiocese of Cardiff

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church which covers the south-east portion of Wales and the county of Herefordshire in England. The Metropolitan Province of Cardiff Wales and Herefordshire therefore covers all of Wales and part of...

.

The archdiocese covers an area of 1183 square miles (3,064 km²) and spans the historic counties of Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....

, Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...

 and eastern Glamorganshire. The Metropolitan See is in the city of Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

 where the archbishop's seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located at the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David.

The see is currently held by the Most Reverend George Stack, 7th Archbishop of Cardiff, who was appointed by the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 on 19 April 2011 and installed at St David's Cathedral, Cardiff on 20 June 2011.

History

The Vicariate Apostolic of the Welsh District was created out of the Western District of England and Wales in 1840. The Welsh District covered all of the principality of Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 and the English county of Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...

. On the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy

Universalis Ecclesiae

Universalis Ecclesiae is the incipit of the papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to the dioceses, as...

 in England and Wales

England and Wales

England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...

 in 1850, the Welsh District was divided. The southern half became the Diocese of Newport and Menevia and the northern half became part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury. In 1895, the diocese lost territory on the creation of the Vicariate Apostolic of Wales, which became the diocese of Menevia in 1898. As a result, the see changed its name to simply the diocese of Newport. Following further reorganisation of the Catholic Church in Wales in 1916, the diocese of Newport was elevated to an ecclesiastical province

Ecclesiastical Province

An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...

 and changed its name to the archdiocese of Cardiff. The archbishop has jurisdiction over the bishops of Menevia

Bishop of Menevia

The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff.The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, the City and County of Swansea and the ancient counties...

 and Wrexham

Bishop of Wrexham

The Bishop of Wrexham is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham in the Province of Cardiff in Wales.The diocese covers an area of and consists of the Welsh historic counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire The Bishop of...

.

Office holders

The following is a list of the archbishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff and its precursor offices.

Vicars Apostolic of the Welsh District

Vicars Apostolic of the Welsh District
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1840	1850	Thomas Joseph Brown Thomas Joseph Brown Thomas Joseph Brown, O.S.B. was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served for two ecclesiastical jurisdictions, first as the Vicar Apostolic of the Welsh District from 1840 to 1850, then as Bishop of Newport and Menevia from 1850 to 1880.... , O.S.B. Order of Saint Benedict The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...	Appointed Vicar Apostolic of the Wales District and Titular Bishop of Apollonia on 5 June 1840 and consecrated on 28 October 1840. Appointed Bishop of Newport and Menevia on 29 September 1850.
In 1850, the southern half of the Welsh district became the diocese of Newport and Menevia.

Bishops of Newport and Menevia

In 1895, the episcopal title became simply the Bishop of Newport.

Bishops of Newport and Menevia
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1850	1880	Thomas Joseph Brown Thomas Joseph Brown Thomas Joseph Brown, O.S.B. was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served for two ecclesiastical jurisdictions, first as the Vicar Apostolic of the Welsh District from 1840 to 1850, then as Bishop of Newport and Menevia from 1850 to 1880.... , O.S.B. Order of Saint Benedict The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...	Hitherto Vicar Apostolic of the Welsh District. Appointed Bishop of Newport and Menevia on 29 September 1850. Died in office on 12 April 1880.
1881	1915	John Cuthbert Hedley John Cuthbert Hedley John Cuthbert Hedley was a British Benedictine and writer who held high offices in the Roman Catholic Church.... , O.S.B.	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Newport and Menevia (1873–1881). Appointed bishop on 18 February 1881. His episcopal title changed to Bishop of Newport in 1895. Died in office on 11 November 1915.
In 1916, the see was elevated to an archdiocese and changed its name to Cardiff.

Archbishops of Cardiff

Roman Catholic Archbishops of Cardiff
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1916	1920	James Romanus Bilsborrow James Romanus Bilsborrow James Romanus Bilsborrow, O.S.B. was a Roman Catholic Church prelate and Benedictine priest. He served as the first Archbishop of Cardiff , having previously been Bishop of Port-Louis .... , O.S.B. Order of Saint Benedict The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...	Formerly Bishop of Port-Louis Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis The Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis is a Roman Catholic diocese located in the city of Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius.-History:... , Mauritius Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...  (1910–1916). Appointed archbishop on 7 February 1916. Resigned on 16 December 1920 and appointed Titular Archbishop of Cius. Died on 19 June 1931.
1921	1939	Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn Francis Mostyn Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn was a Welsh prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Cardiff from 1921 until his death.-Biography:...	Formerly Bishop of Menevia Bishop of Menevia The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff.The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, the City and County of Swansea and the ancient counties...  (1898–1921). Appointed archbishop on 7 March 1921. Died in office on 25 October 1939.
1940	1961	Michael Joseph McGrath Michael Joseph McGrath Michael Joseph McGrath was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served first as the Bishop of Menevia from 1935 to 1940, then the Archbishop of Cardiff from 1940 to 1961....	Formerly Bishop of Menevia Bishop of Menevia The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff.The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, the City and County of Swansea and the ancient counties...  (1935–1940). Appointed archbishop on 20 June 1940. Died in office on 28 February 1961.
1961	1983	John Aloysius Murphy John Aloysius Murphy John Aloysius Murphy was a Roman Catholic Church prelate who served firstly as the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1949 to 1961, then as the Archbishop of Cardiff from 1961 to 1983....	Formerly Bishop of Shrewsbury Bishop of Shrewsbury The Bishop of Shrewsbury is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury in the Province of Birmingham, England.The diocese covers an area of of the counties and unitary authorities of Cheshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin with parts of Derbyshire, Halton, Merseyside, Greater...  (1949–1961). Appointed archbishop on 22 August 1961. Retired on 25 March 1983 and died on 18 November 1995.
1983	2001	John Aloysius Ward John Aloysius Ward John Aloysius Ward was a Roman Catholic clergyman. He became Bishop of Menevia in 1981, and Archbishop of Cardiff in 1983... , O.F.M. Cap. Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...	Formerly Bishop of Menevia Bishop of Menevia The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff.The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, the City and County of Swansea and the ancient counties...  (1981–1983). Appointed archbishop on 25 March 1983. Resigned on 26 October 2001 and died on 27 March 2007.
2001	2010	Peter David Smith	Formerly Bishop of East Anglia Bishop of East Anglia The Bishop of East Anglia is the Ordinary of the modern Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia in the Province of Westminster, England.At present the see is vacant...  (1995–2001). Appointed archbishop on 26 October 2001. Translated Translation (ecclesiastical) Translation is the technical term when a Bishop is transferred from one diocese to another.This can be* From Suffragan Bishop status to Diocesan Bishop*From Coadjutor bishop to Diocesan Bishop*From one country's Episcopate to another...  to the archbishopric of Southwark Archbishop of Southwark The Archbishop of Southwark is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Southwark....  on 10 June 2010.
2011	present	George Stack	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Westminster Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and... . Appointed archbishop on 19 April 2011 and installed on 20 June 2011.