Pope appoints Bishop John Sherrington as new Liverpool archbishop in England

CNA Newsroom, Apr 5, 2025 / 07:36 am (CNA).

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop John Sherrington as the new Archbishop of Liverpool.

Sherrington replaces Archbishop Malcolm Patrick McMahon, O.P., who submitted his resignation after serving the archdiocese since 2014.

The Holy See Press Office announced the appointment on Saturday, April 5. Archbishop-elect Sherrington, who has served as an auxiliary bishop of Westminster and titular bishop of Hilta since 2011, will be installed as the tenth Archbishop of Liverpool during a ceremony at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on May 27.

In a statement following the announcement, Archbishop-elect Sherrington expressed gratitude for the appointment.

“I thank Pope Francis for his trust in me on my appointment as Archbishop of Liverpool which I accept with humility and joy,” he said. “We pray for our Holy Father at this time of sickness as he recuperates and prepares for Holy Week and Easter.”

Archbishop-elect Sherrington, 67, was born in Leicester in 1958 and holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Queen’s College, Cambridge. After working briefly in management consultancy, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Nottingham in 1987. He later earned a licentiate in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

His experience includes serving as a professor of moral theology at All Hallows College in Dublin and at St. John’s Seminary in Wonersh, as well as parish ministry in Nottingham and Derby. Within the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, he has served as a member of the Department for Social Justice, responsible for life issues since 2014.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, welcomed the appointment, noting that Pope Francis has continued his work despite recent health concerns.

“Those who have been following reports on the health of the Holy Father and keeping him in their prayers will know that he has continued his work, including the appointment of bishops,” Cardinal Nichols said.

“In Westminster we know his gifts, dedication, and utter generosity only too well. We will miss him greatly,” he added.

Archbishop McMahon, who has led the Liverpool Archdiocese for the past decade, expressed gratitude for his successor’s appointment.

“We are receiving a new Archbishop with considerable gifts, talents and skills, but most of all we are receiving a man of deep prayer who loves the Lord Jesus and who loves His Church,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Liverpool, which covers the city itself and surrounding areas, including Wigan, St. Helens, Southport, and the Isle of Man, is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in England.

The archbishop-elect acknowledged the rich heritage of the archdiocese, stating: “I look forward to serving as shepherd of the historic and faith-filled Church in the Archdiocese of Liverpool which is rich in its heritage of the English martyrs, Irish immigration, and now looks to the future.”