It's been a long time in coming. But the appointment of the new Bishop of Arundel and Brighton should be worth the wait.
Monsignor Kieran Conry sounds eminently sensible in today's Argus interview as he takes on the role of leading thousands of Roman Catholics in Sussex.
He has a hard act to follow. Bishop Cormac Murphy O'Connor was many years in the post and much-loved.
Proof of the high standing he had in the Catholic hierarchy came when he was created Archbishop of Westminster and made a cardinal.
The new bishop also has to address the problem of falling congregations and adapting the Catholic Church to the realities of modern life.
It is a tough challenge but if he succeeds, he may eventually be held in even greater regard than his predecessor.
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