At his Mass of installation at St Andrew’s Cathedral Glasgow this afternoon, Archbishop William Nolan he was deeply privileged and thankful.
However In his homily he said many In the Church had ’lost the joy’ of being Catholic.
He apologised to victims of sex abuse within the Church and thanked them for coming forward saying they had ‘brought light from the darkness’.
He also praised the priests of the Archdiocese for their perseverance during the ‘very difficult’ years of the pandemic.
Despite the scandals and the pandemic, and because of them, he said it was vital that Catholics now ‘rekindle the joy of gospel’ in their lives.
The new Archbishop celebrated the Mass of installation in the presence of the Papal Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Bishops of Scotland and over 100 priests together with representatives of almost 100 parishes in the Glasgow Archdiocese.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, the Archbishop-elect said: “I have been overwhelmed by the messages of support and the pledges of prayer I gave received since the announcement was made that I was to be the new Archbishop of Glasgow. I am convinced that the flame of faith is very much alive in Glasgow, even among those who no longer practise their faith, and I want to encourage the nurturing of that faith.”
More to follow.