Meet our Media Bishop
Rt Rev John Arnold
AUXILIARY BISHOP OF WESTMINSTER
Titular Bishop of Lindisfarne
Bishop John Arnold is the Church’s “Media Bishop”. In 2006 he was appointed Chair of the Strategic Communications committee of the Bishops’ Conference. He’s an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster and is Titular Bishop of Lindisfarne.
What is a titular bishop?
A titular bishop is a bishop of the Church who is not in charge of a diocese (Canon 376). Titular bishops are those who have been appointed by the Holy See to a see or diocese which, in former times, had a cathedral church, clergy, and laity, but at present, on account of pagan occupation and government, has neither clergy nor people. It is essential that the titular diocese did once exist, and did cease to exist through death or defection of clergy and faithful, or pagan settlement and government.
In-depth biography:
Bishop John Arnold was ordained Bishop and appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Westminster on 3rd February 2006. He has responsibility for the pastoral care of the deaneries of Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Haringey, and Harrow.
John Arnold was born in Sheffield and attended Mylnhurst Convent School, before attending Grace Dieu Manor Preparatory school and Ratcliffe College, both schools run by the Institute of Charity (Rosminians). In 1975 He graduated with a Law Degree from Trinity College, Oxford and completed his legal qualification by being called to the Bar in the Middle Temple in 1976 after studies at the Council of Legal Education.
In the autumn of the same year, he entered the novitiate of the Institute of Charity (Rosminians), taking simple vows in 1978 before beginning studies at the Gregorian University in Rome. In 1981 he transferred to the Venerable English College and continued his studies for the Diocese of Westminster, completing both a Licence and a doctorate in Canon Law.
He was ordained by Cardinal Basil Hume as a deacon in November 1982, and a priest in July 1983. With the completion of studies in Rome, he was appointed to Westminster Cathedral as a chaplain, with responsibilities for the Westminster Hospital in 1985.
In 1989 he was appointed as Sub-Administrator of the Cathedral under Canon Oliver Kelly and subsequently under Patrick O’Donoghue, now Bishop of Lancaster. In 1993 he was became parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George in Enfield and remained there until 2001, serving also as Promoter of Justice for Cardinal Hume.
In 2001 he was appointed as Chancellor and Vicar General by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. During this time he was primarily responsible for planning two consultations within the Diocese on spiritual renewal and forming a vision for the future, in response to Pope John Paul II’s invitation in “Novo Millennio Ineunte” (At the Beginning of the new Millennium). In 2003 he was made a Chaplain to the Papal Household.
During his appointment at the Cathedral, he assisted in the compilation of two books published by Cardinal Hume; “Light in the Lord” and “Towards a Civilisation of Love”. Having contributed to “AIDS: Meeting the Community Challenge”, he published “The Quality of Mercy, A fresh look at the Sacrament of Reconciliation” in 1993.