New Archbishop of Glasgow Appointed
From the Scottish Catholic Media Office
Pope Francis has today (Friday 4 February 2022) appointed Bishop William Nolan, as Archbishop of Glasgow. The new Archbishop will succeed Archbishop Philip Tartaglia who died in January 2021. Bishop Nolan is currently the Bishop of Galloway.
Reacting to the announcement, Bishop Nolan said;
“I feel overwhelmed by the trust Pope Francis is putting in me by appointing me as Archbishop of Glasgow. It will be wrench for me to leave Galloway Diocese where for seven years I have experienced the kindness and friendship of so many people, particularly the clergy. God truly blessed me by sending me to Galloway and I hope that my successor there will be similarly blessed.
As I overcome my initial shock at being appointed Archbishop my thoughts now turn to the challenges that lies ahead. I look forward to working with everyone in the Archdiocese, laity and clergy, to carry out the mission that we share of proclaiming God’s good news and of bringing the joy of the gospel into the lives of the people of today.”
Bishop Nolan added:
“I am well aware of my own inadequacies and of the difficulties the Church faces today. Thank God therefore that we can sure of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the Church. As I leave the Diocese of Galloway behind, from now on I belong to Glasgow. And I assure the people of Glasgow of my commitment and dedication to them.
Please remember me in your prayers.”
Welcoming the appointment Mgr. Hugh Bradly, who has been Administrator of the Archdiocese of Glasgow since the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, said:
“I am delighted with the appointment of Bishop Nolan; I offer him a warm welcome to the Archdiocese of Glasgow and a promise of prayers on behalf of all the clergy, religious and laity. May our good God bless him with health and strength to lead us in faith.”
Commenting on the appointment, Fr. William McFadden, Vicar General of the diocese of Galloway said:
“As Bishop of Galloway, Bishop Nolan presented a pastoral vision with a genuinely collaborative approach. He led with humility and determination, inspired by the initiatives of Pope Francis, and focussing on the needs of the Church for the 21st century. This appointment will allow him to serve both the people of Glasgow and the wider Church with the same abilities with which he served us in Galloway for seven valuable years. We will miss him, but appreciate greatly the contribution which he made, and the legacy which he leaves.” ENDS.
Source – Scottish Catholic Media Office
Editor writes…
Bishop Nolan is a “Francis man” – which makes him an enemy of Catholic Tradition. Look out for the vicious implementation of Traditionis Custodes. Will the Traditional Latin Mass all but disappear in Glasgow or will the clergy “resist, defy, refuse to comply” (to steal the chant from the Freedom marchers!)
Comments (34)
This is just a quick word to explain my absence from the blog this past couple of days. I’ve not been well – not “the virus” – just a touch of food poisoning. I wasn’t kidding when I said I can’t cook. I’m still not very well, had my first cup of tea and a slice of toast less than an hour ago and I couldn’t finish it (no, I CAN make toast!) and this news today hasn’t helped one bit.
I’ll try to look in later in the afternoon to see what “y’all” think, but, for now, back into the role of someone at death’s door. I am NOT a good patient!
In all seriousness, we do need to pray for the new Archbishop of Glasgow, when he takes up that office. There just aren’t enough rosary beads on sale to meet the need. God help us all.
“I can make toast” – LOL! Get well soon!
Hope you recover well ED as for Nolan being a Bergoglio Man . Anyone with a Smidgen of Catholic Faith having read or listened to Bergoglios last garbage talk that Blasphemers ,Apostates , Reprobates Etc Etc will enter into The Kingdom of Heaven ( all of course Traditional Catholics ) and still Believes Bergoglio is a Catholic is now of a completely different Faith than me.
It’s now not just surely Traditional Catholics that must now have a look at Bergoglio. I know av said it before but Bergoglio wouldn’t even make a half decent Protestant.
In fact Bergoglio doesn’t even know Basic Scripture ,and the fact He is surrounded by a Bunch of Homosexual Transgender Promoting Lavender Clergymen if it is noticed by me, surely it is noticed by the New Archbishop.
God Help Our Church. As for our Faith we certainly seem to have a Completely Different one from Bergoglio and His Lavender Buddies.
Archbishops are not moved to other Archdiocese. Besides which, as St Andrews and Edinburgh is the primatial see, moving Archbishop Cushley would be seen as a demotion.
That’s right and thank goodness. Archbishop Cushley took over from Keith O’Brien and when asked by a journalist about the crisis, said there wasn’t any crisis, LOL! Who’d want him running Glasgow!
Dear Madame Editor,
I’m so sorry you’re ill! I’m sure that even sick you’re a better cook than I am.
Maybe the good Lord allowed it so you could offer up your sufferings in union with Him for the new Archbishop.
Sending you hugs and prayers.
Yours in Christ the King,
Margaret 🇺🇸
Oh my! Another modernist Bishop. I do hope the priests don’t cave in when it comes to the Traditional Latin Mass. Prayers for the priesthood are more needed in recent times that any time in history.
Catherine,
As far as I know, there are no Latin Masses in Galloway parishes, at all. Just two, one in a religious house in Kilwinning and one at a personal ordinariate in Whithorn, back of beyond! So, it’s obvious Bishop Nolan is not a fan, IMHO. I agree about the need for prayers for priests more than ever.
My first reaction was “at least its not Joseph Toal”.
He moved quickly to stamp out the growth and enthusiasm the TLM was bringing to his diocese. Any kind of success is completely anathema to Vatican II types of course, they are only interested in failure and decline.
I do not know much about William Nolan, but he does strike me as much less of a “bull in a china shop” than is Bishop Toal.
I would hope +Nolan allows the Diocesan TLM communities to quietly get on with their good work. The four or so diocesan locations which offer the TLM could hardly be portrayed as any kind of problem, yet they will be big enough collectively to be a flea in the Bishops ear, if he interferes.
I know that, in at least one of these locations, the TLM transformed the parish finances. Hopefully +Nolan will not want to start his career in the diocese by making enemies and undermining parish finances. Who knows?
It is tempting to think that he will be a wrecker, having been appointed by Francis. However, I suspect the decision has been made on the basis of “who is the least poor choice” of the available candidates, rather than who will be Francis’ fanatical lieutenant. The long length of time it took to make an appointment certainly suggests that.
+Keenan is mired in Daisy Chain scandal.
+Robson is likely seen as too sympathetic to the TLM
+Cushley: no point in moving him from Edinburgh, as it just then moves the Archbishop vacancy to Edinburgh
+Toal : although he showed himself willing to wreck TLM communities, he is mired in scandal regards the Father Despard situation, proceeding to ordain Christopher Morris and having LGBT activists like Fr Paul Morton in a very gay diocese overall.
The other two are pretty anonymous, so who is left but +Nolan?
Gabriel Syme,
I don’t know much about any of the bishops but surely the Pope doesn’t only have the rest of the bishops in Scotland to choose from? Couldn’t he decide to send someone from another country? If the clergy are as careerist as they seem to be, I suppose that would cause ructions, but at some point in the future, something drastic will have to be done if the Church in Scotland is not to disappear altogether.
I just paid a visit to the website of the Diocese of Galloway and saw there was a link to “Synod” so I followed it right through to this questionnaire, which makes it very obvious that Bishop Nolan is definitely a “Francis fanatic”.
https://form.jotform.com/213292942112954
One of the headings in the synod form is DISCERNING AND DECIDING and there is a statement underneath, quote “A synodal Church makes decisions through discernment of what the Holy Spirit is saying through our whole community.”
That’s quite a bit different from what I was taught about how the Holy Spirit works in the Church. Next thing, especially in Glasgow, we’ll be hearing that the Holy Spirit is telling us that homosexuality is a good thing, and that women should be ordained!
I see the reasoning in your comment, but I have a feeling that Glasgow isn’t going to get better with Bishop Nolan at the helm. I don’t think any bishop is appointed these days who is not on side with Francis. That’s the long and the short of it.
Josephine I read that Questionnaire and my God it must surely be for retired persons only. The reason I say so is You would have to take 3 Days off Work for time to fill it in . Really this Sinnod on Sinnodality has lost the plot.
Also it’s no surprise that the New Archbishop is a Bergoglion Man .
Just to remind Him as He probably reads this . William we Catholics do not do Ecumenicism.
Gabriel as regards William Nolan being either for Christ or for Bergoglio that will quickly be seen. One thing that is certain is that probably The Horrible Man that is Arthur Roche will know Him .Roche who we know is fickle enough to go through Traditional Catholic Websites and condemn them for being seriously Rigid. Will make sure that William Nolan has the right credentials to further wreck the Catholic Church in Scotland ( if that is possible ) of that their is no doubt.
I know nothing of William Nolan but definitely trust the ED and if He is a Bergoglion Man then He is certainly not for the good of The Catholic Church . We know that no Man can serve 2 Masters and if William Nolan serves Bergoglio then He does not serve God.
Faith of our Fathers,
That’s a brilliant comment from you. I wouldn’t call the Pope “The Horrible Man”, but I get your frustration.
I definitely agree that it’s time to choose the master – God or Francis. You can’t serve both.
Nicky, I think FOOF meant Arthur Roche is the horrible man?
Crofterlady, thank you – I can see now that I misread that comment.
Dear Editor
I hope you’re on the mend my prayers are with you.
Our new Archbishop another Modernist. l have deep concerns about where the Archdiocese goes from here specially in relation to previous areas of concern already thus far in this discussion.
Like all of you friends l shall continue in the words of St Pio to pray, hope and don’t worry
Every blessing to everyone
Michael
I think it was with just such an appointment in mind that Father Gruner quoted Fatima “Only she can help you now”. I think that’s an accurate quote – if not, it’s true anyway! The Diocese of Galloway website screams modernism, so there won’t be anything good happening in Glasgow now, for a long time. What a shocking appointment.
Dear Editor,
Sorry to hear of your ailment, please get well soon as you are indispensable.
At least now your wait is over for your new Archbishop, prayers for you BOTH!
Excuse my ignorance of the process, but is there nothing the laity in the archdiocese can do in such an appointment? I have a very vague memory of some kind of protest outside a cathedral overseas at the appointment of a bishop and he was replaced.
That was in an African diocese (Ahiara): “In line with Pope Francis’s directives demanding letters of allegiance from all the priests from Ahiara Diocese before July 9, the priests said they have complied with the contents of the Pope’s message, but the entire laity equally rejected Bishop Peter Okpalaeke from assuming office in the diocese. Instead, the laity are demanding a bishop who has affinity or incardinated in the diocese without minding his ethnic background, noting that they would not accept Okpalaeke for the fact that he does not understand the culture, language of the people, claiming he was secretly imposed on the people of the diocese without following due process expected in the selection and appointment of catholic bishops.”
Bp Okpalaeke resigned in Feb 2018 and the diocese currently has no bishop. You could try and claim that Bp Nolan doesn’t understand the culture or language of Glaswegians, but I don’t think you’d get away with it!
Westminster Fly,
LOL! Anyone outside of Glasgow doesn’t understand the culture/language of Glaswegians, for sure! But, as you say, we wouldn’t get away with objecting to the new archbishop on those grounds!
No Toal, no Keenan as God saw that was good (Genesis part of it-word) . I don’t have the foggiest idea of who new Archbishop is although I have heard his name before. I was hoping for an outsider but alas, NOT. The nature of that new Archbishopric appointment doesn’t give Scottish Catholics some hope cos they (the Vatican) haven’t learned their lessons as regards to Catholic Scotland since the legacy of KOB. But the good news is that he will be there for 7 years until mandatory retirement age of 75.
Terrible news. Just the fact that SCIAF is praising him, says it all. He was on the SCIAF Board and SCIAF “puts pressure on governments to care for the planet and create a fairer, more peaceful world.” My best guess is that “fairer” means fighting for “minority” rights.
Hope you are on the mend, Editor. Food poisoning is horrible.
Thanks to those who promised prayers for this member of the sick list. I’m a good bit better now, and should be back to up and about and out, after a good night’s sleep.
I’ve just quickly skimmed the comments here and everyone seems to be of the same opinion, more or less, that this appointment is nothing to celebrate. The person who is now in the Trash folder begs to differ. His foul-mouthed, pornographic comments are directed at me, not Bishop Nolan, so although it’s very clear that he doesn’t like me, I’ve no way of knowing what he thinks about the new archbishop.
One comment jumped out at me – that from Patrick Healy who writes:
Sorry to hear of your ailment, please get well soon as you are indispensable.
I’m kinda hoping, Patrick, not very humbly, that you meant to put a comma after “soon” – or did you actually mean that you hope I’ll get well “soon as” I’m “indispensable?! If so, prepare for an extremely long wait 😀
As shucks Dear Editor!
You know we all know I was referring to your physical ailments!
This is what the liberal rag, The Tablet is reporting:
“Bishop Nolan, 68, who shares Francis’ concerns for the plight of migrants, protection of the planet and opposition to the arms trade, will take charge of one of the UK’s largest Catholic communities. As Archbishop of Glasgow, his position will also give him a voice on the national stage.”
This is what being a bishop seems to be all about these days – getting yourself on TV to talk about political issues and always from a left-wing perspective. The same report has him already in line for a red hat, too bad Archbishop Cushley!
Nicky,
That’s not surprising – they’re all into politics. Here’s the Catholic Herald with a picture of Nolan but the report seems to be about the return of the Sunday obligation in Scotland, not until start of Lent. I wonder if they’ll find an excuse to put it off again? Quite shockingly, they’re keeping mask wearing and social distancing. They’re slaves to Sturgeon, obviously.
https://catholicherald.co.uk/scottish-catholics-called-back-to-mass-as-bishops-announce-reintroduction-of-sunday-obligation-in-lent/
I paid a visit to the Galloway Facebook page and watched the short statement from Bishop Nolan who looked miserable the whole time, LOL! Maybe he knows he’s not going to have an easy time of it in Glasgow!
https://www.facebook.com/GallowayDiocese/
The comments from the people are all predictable – congratulations, you deserve this, etc.
What will be interesting now, is to see who gets the appointment to Galloway.
Josephine,
I hope his looking miserable is not a bad omen. Remember when Francis was elected Pope, he was a complete sourpuss on the loggia.
He looked like he had entered a competition and won a poke in the eye!
He definitely looks very serious in that Facebook video, and a bit nervous IMHO.
Not knowing anything about Galloway, I wouldn’t know who are in the frame to be the next bishop. Why anyone would want to be a bishop these day, gets me.
Lily,
I laughed watching him on that video. He looks terrified at the thought of coming to Glasgow, LOL!
I also couldn’t help laughing at Bishop Nolan in that video. He seems to be lacking in confidence, but appearances can be deceptive.
Fidelis,
Indeed – elsewhere I have heard +Nolan described as “cold and steely”, which would certainly be a change from his “tepid and flabby” predecessor!
Well, since my original post I have spoken to a few others (including clergy) and the consensus was that this is a worrisome appointment as regards tradition in diocesan settings.
Perhaps I have been too optimistic / hopefully (as usual! haha!).
Let us pray that our fears are not realised and that the new Archbishop is as warm to traditionalists as he will naturally be towards heretics, pagans, apostates, satanists etc.
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