Arthur Roche previously served as secretary of the congregation from 2012 to 2021.
25 Facts About Arthur Roche
2.
Arthur Roche served as coadjutor bishop of Leeds under Bishop David Konstant, and before that as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster.
3.
Arthur Roche was appointed an archbishop when he joined the Roman Curia in 2012.
4.
Arthur Roche was born in Batley Carr, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to Arthur and Frances Roche.
5.
Arthur Roche attended St Joseph's Primary School, St John Fisher High School and Christleton Hall.
6.
Arthur Roche was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the diocese in 1979.
7.
Arthur Roche was the diocesan Financial Secretary from 1986 to 1991 and parish priest at St Wilfrid's Church from 1989 to 1991.
8.
Arthur Roche then became spiritual director of the Venerable English College.
9.
Arthur Roche was appointed General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales in April 1996 and given the title of Monsignor.
10.
Arthur Roche was named Coadjutor to the Bishop of Leeds, David Konstant, on 16 July 2002.
11.
Arthur Roche became the ninth bishop of Leeds when Pope John Paul accepted Bishop Konstant's resignation on health grounds on 7 April 2004.
12.
Arthur Roche had been mentioned as a possible successor to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor as Archbishop of Westminster, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
13.
Arthur Roche was even said to be the cardinal's favoured candidate.
14.
Arthur Roche's name had been mentioned as a possible successor to Archbishop Kevin McDonald as Archbishop of Southwark.
15.
In July 2002, while continuing as bishop of Leeds, Arthur Roche was elected chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, which oversees the translation of the Latin liturgical texts into English.
16.
Arthur Roche described it as a return to practices before Pope Pius XII reorganized Holy Week services in 1955.
17.
Arthur Roche contradicted press reports that Cardinal Sarah was at odds with the pope on this change.
18.
In September 2017, when Francis released his document Magnum principium giving national bishops' conferences the dominant role and constraining the authority of the CDW, Arthur Roche alone authored the CDW's accompanying commentary.
19.
On 18 December 2021, Arthur Roche issued a Responsa ad Dubia concerning Traditionis Custodes.
20.
Arthur Roche has stated that the promotion of the Traditional Latin Mass has been "curtailed" and that the permission to celebrate the old rite is a concession being made to those who are attached to the old rite but is not an opportunity for the old rite to be promoted.
21.
Arthur Roche has come under criticism from numerous groups for his role in the implementation of Traditionis Custodes, with some claiming the steps that are being taken by Arthur Roche are "cruel", "unnecessarily harsh" or even unlawful.
22.
Arthur Roche's assessment seemed to contradict Pope Benedict XVI's assertion in his 2007 Motu Propio, Summorum Pontificum, that the Old Rite had never been abrogated.
23.
Some have claimed that Arthur Roche has contradicted himself during the process of implementing restrictions on the Old Rite, given that in 2015 when speaking about why the celebration of the Tridentine Mass was permitted, he stated "we want unity in the Church and not just simple uniformity, Pope Francis wants unity with diversity".
24.
In January 2022, in an interview with Catholic News Service, Arthur Roche stated that if the faithful do not take Traditionis Custodes seriously, then that is "a serious decision people are making".
25.
Arthur Roche stated in the interview that the path Pope Francis has chosen to take on the matter of the celebration of the old rite is something that he has been mandated to do by the Second Vatican Council.