His Eminence Cormac Murphy-O'Connor |
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Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster | |
Appointed | 15 February 2000 |
Installed | 22 March 2000 |
Term ended | 3 April 2009 |
Predecessor | George Basil Hume |
Successor | Vincent Gerard Nichols |
Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria sopra Minerva |
Orders | |
Ordination | 28 October 1956 by Valerio Valeri |
Consecration | 21 December 1977 by Michael George Bowen |
Created Cardinal | 21 February 2001 by John Paul II |
Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
Personal details | |
Birth name | Cormac Murphy-O'Connor |
Born |
Reading, Berkshire, England |
24 August 1932
Nationality | British |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Parents | George and Ellen Murphy-O'Connor |
Previous post |
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Motto | Gaudium et Spes |
Coat of arms |
Styles of Cormac Murphy-O'Connor |
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Reference style | His Eminence |
Spoken style | Your Eminence or My Lord Cardinal |
Informal style | Cardinal |
See | Westminster (emeritus) |
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (born 24 August 1932) is a retired bishop and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster and former President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in the 2001 Consistory. He submitted his resignation as archbishop on reaching his 75th birthday in 2007; it was accepted on 3 April 2009 when Pope Benedict appointed Vincent Nichols as the new archbishop.
By virtue of his position as Archbishop of Westminster, Murphy-O'Connor was sometimes referred to as the Catholic Primate of England and Wales. However, though the holders within the Church of England of the posts of Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop of York are called the "Primate of All England" and "Primate of England" respectively, the title of primate has never been used by the de facto leaders of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was born in Reading, Berkshire, the fifth son of George and Ellen Murphy-O'Connor (died 1971), who emigrated from County Cork in Ireland before the First World War and married in 1921. Two of his uncles, one aunt, two cousins and two of his brothers, Brian (died 2012) and Patrick, were also ordained or members of religious orders. His youngest brother, John, was a regular officer in the Royal Artillery who died of Renal cell carcinoma; he has two other siblings, James (a doctor and rugby player) and Catherine. After attending Presentation College in Reading and Prior Park College in Bath, Murphy-O'Connor then began his studies for the priesthood in 1950 at the Venerable English College in Rome, where he received a degree in theology. Thereafter, he earned a licentiate in philosophy and a licentiate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained on 28 October 1956, by Valerio Cardinal Valeri. For the next decade was engaged in pastoral ministry in Portsmouth and Fareham.