Scottish abbot tipped to be next leader of England's Catholics

Published on Sunday 3 February 2008 00:35

A MONK at a Scottish abbey is a frontrunner to replace Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor as leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, it was reported last night.

Hugh Gilbert, 55, the abbot of Pluscarden Abbey in Elgin, Moray, could replace Murphy-O'Connor when he retires this year.

Top church figures are said to be impressed with Gilbert's orthodox views and talents for leadership, though the final decision belongs to the Pope.

Basil Hume was the last candidate from a similarly obscure background to succeed to the post, when he became Archbishop of Westminster in 1976.

Gilbert is known as a traditionalist, who has presided over an expansion of his abbey and the founding of two off-shoots in America and Africa. He belongs to the Benedictine Order who do not watch television and believe the world is best served by withdrawing from it and praying for it.

A convert to Catholicism, Gilbert attended St Paul's School and King's College London before becoming a monk in 1974. He was elected abbot in 1992 at Pluscarden, which is now home to 27 monks.

One senior Catholic acknowledged that Gilbert was being discussed as a contender. He said: "He is a quiet, scholarly monk who would probably accept the appointment out of obedience to the church."

Murphy-O'Connor was set to retire in 2007 when he turned 75 but was asked to remain in office.

Others said to be in the running to succeed him include the Archbishop of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols, who has presented himself as a conservative and is a keen supporter of the Pope's campaign for liturgical renewal.

The Archbishop of Cardiff, Peter Smith, who has been prominent in dealing with topics such as euthanasia and abortion, is also a contender, as is Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds, who is responsible for overseeing the revision of mass texts.