The Bishop of Leeds 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 Diocese of Leeds in the Province of Liverpool, England.

The Vicariate Apostolic of the Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

 District was elevated to diocese status as the Diocese of Beverley

Diocese of Beverley

The Diocese of Beverley is an historical diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in England. It took its name after the town of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The diocese was established in 1850 and was replaced by two dioceses in 1878...

 on 29 September 1850, which was suppressed on 20 December 1878 and its area was divided into the dioceses of Leeds and Middlesbrough

Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese based in Middlesbrough, England and is part of the province of Liverpool. It was founded on 20 December 1878, with the splitting of the Diocese of Beverley which had covered all of Yorkshire...

.

The Diocese of Leeds covers an area of and consists of the County of West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

, together parts of the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire

East Riding of Yorkshire

The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...

, North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

, Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, and Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

. The see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 is in the city of Leeds where the bishop'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 Cathedral Church of Saint Anne

Leeds Cathedral

Leeds Cathedral, formally The Cathedral Church of St Anne, commonly known as Saint Anne's Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and is the seat of the Bishop of Leeds. It is in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...

, Cookridge Street.

The current incumbent is the Right Reverend Arthur Roche

Arthur Roche

Arthur Roche is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Bishop of Leeds.-Early life and ministry:...

, 9th Bishop of Leeds, who succeeded to the title on 7 April 2004. He had previously been 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...

 (2001–2002) before appointed the Coadjutor Bishop

Coadjutor bishop

A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...

 of Leeds (2002–2004).

List of the Bishops of Leeds

Roman Catholic Bishops of Leeds
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1878	1890	Robert Cornthwaite Robert Cornthwaite (bishop) Robert Cornthwaite was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was last Bishop of Beverley and the first Bishop of Leeds.-Early life and ministry:...	Previously Bishop of Beverley Diocese of Beverley The Diocese of Beverley is an historical diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in England. It took its name after the town of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The diocese was established in 1850 and was replaced by two dioceses in 1878...  (1861–1878). Appointed Appointment of Catholic bishops The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...  Bishop of Leeds on 20 December 1878. Died in office on 16 June 1890.
1890	1911	William Gordon	Appointed Coadjutor Bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  of Leeds on 28 December 1889 and consecrated on 24 February 1890. Succeeded Diocesan Bishop of Leeds on 16 June 1890. Died in office on 7 June 1911.
1911	1936	Joseph Robert Cowgill Joseph Robert Cowgill Joseph Robert Cowgill was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third Bishop of Leeds.-Life and ministry:...	Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Leeds on 26 September 1905 and consecrated on 30 November 1905. Succeeded Diocesan Bishop of Leeds on 7 June 1911. Died in office on 12 May 1936.
1936	1950	Henry John Poskitt Henry John Poskitt Henry John Poskitt was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop of Leeds.-Life and ministry:...	Appointed bishop on 19 August 1936 and consecrated on 21 September 1936. Died in office on 19 February 1950.
1951	1957	John Carmel Heenan	Appointed bishop on 12 March 1951 and consecrated on 12 March 1951. Translated to Liverpool Archbishop of Liverpool The Archbishop of Liverpool heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province.-History:...  on 2 May 1957.
1957	1965	George Patrick Dwyer George Patrick Dwyer George Patrick Dwyer was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham from 1965 to 1981.-Life and ministry:...	Appointed bishop on 3 August 1957 and consecrated on 24 September 1957. Translated to Birmingham Archbishop of Birmingham The Archbishop of Birmingham heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Birmingham....  on 5 October 1965.
1966	1985	William Gordon Wheeler William Gordon Wheeler The Rt Rev. William Gordon Wheeler was the 7th Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds from 1966 until 1985. Born on 5 May 1910 and educated at Manchester Grammar School and University College, Oxford he was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1934 and began his ecclesiastical career with curacies at St...	Previously Coadjutor Bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  of Middlesbrough Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough The Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese based in Middlesbrough, England and is part of the province of Liverpool. It was founded on 20 December 1878, with the splitting of the Diocese of Beverley which had covered all of Yorkshire...  (1964–1964). Appointed Bishop of Leeds on 25 April 1966 and installed on 27 June 1966. Retired on 12 July 1985 and died 12 July 1985.
1985	2004	David Every Konstant David Konstant David Every Konstant is the Bishop Emeritus of Leeds, England.After graduating from Christ's College, Cambridge and studying for the priesthood at St Edmund's College, Ware, Konstant was ordained as a priest on 12 June 1954 by Cardinal Bernard Griffin. In the 1960s he was assistant headmaster at...	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...  (1977–1985). Appointed Bishop of Leeds on 12 July 1985 and installed on 12 July 1985. Resigned on 7 April 2004.
2004	present	Arthur Roche Arthur Roche Arthur Roche is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Bishop of Leeds.-Early life and ministry:...	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... (2001–2002). Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Leeds on 16 July 2002 and succeeded on 7 April 2004.