15 Facts About Bernard Longley

Bernard Longley was born on 5 April 1955 and is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

Bernard Longley was named the Archbishop of Birmingham on 1 October 2009, and installed on 8 December 2009.

Bernard Longley was born in Openshaw, Manchester, and was educated at St Vincent de Paul parish school, then at Xaverian College in Rusholme.

Bernard Longley later studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and New College, Oxford, where he served as Treasurer of the Oxford Union in 1977.

Bernard Longley then was in formation for the priesthood at St John's Seminary, Wonersh where he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton on 12 December 1981.

Bernard Longley then served as an assistant priest at St Joseph's Church in Epsom and as a chaplain to psychiatric hospitals.

On 4 January 2003, Bernard Longley was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Zarna by Pope John Paul II.

Bernard Longley commented that he was "greatly honoured" and "very much overwhelmed" by his appointment.

In 2007, Bernard Longley played a prominent role in the integration of the independent Soho Masses Pastoral Council, a group that sponsors Masses for homosexual Catholics, into the Archdiocese.

Bernard Longley succeeded Archbishop Vincent Nichols, who was translated from Birmingham to Westminster earlier in 2009.

Archbishop Bernard Longley was installed at St Chad's Cathedral on 8 December 2009, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Archbishop Bernard Longley played a leading role in the plans for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman and presented the petition for canonisation to Pope Benedict XVI, which took place in Cofton Park, Birmingham on 19 September 2010 during the papal visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010.

On 5 January 2011, Archbishop Bernard Longley was appointed among the first members of the newly created Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation.

Archbishop Bernard Longley is co-chair of ARCC and has previously served as moderator of the Steering Committee of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, as well as assistant general secretary of Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales with responsibilities for ecumenism and interfaith affairs.

On Tuesday, 18 September 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Bernard Longley to serve as one of the Synod Fathers for the October 2012 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.