Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (March 2007)
Peter Smith
Denomination Roman Catholic Church
Senior posting
See Cardiff
Title Archbishop of Cardiff
Period in office October 26, 2001—present
Predecessor John Aloysius Ward
Successor incumbent
Personal
Date of birth October 21, 1943 (1943-10-21) (age 64)
Place of birth London, Great Britain
Styles of
Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff
Reference style The Most Reverend
Spoken style Your Grace
Religious style Monsignor
Posthumous style not applicable


Peter Smith (born October 21, 1943) is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, currently serving as Metropolitan Archbishop of Cardiff.


Peter Smith was born in Battersea, he studied at Clapham College,and at Exeter University (where he earned his bachelor's degree in law), St. John's Seminary in Wonersh, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome (earning his Doctorate in Canon Law). He was ordained to the priesthood on July 5, 1972.

After doing pastoral work from 1972 to 1974, Father Smith began teaching canon law at his alma mater St. John's Seminary in 1977. He then served as a pastor in Thornton Heath (1984-1985), and as the rector of St. John's Seminary (1985-1995).

On March 21, 1995, Smith was appointed Bishop of East Anglia by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 21 from Basil Cardinal Hume, OSB, with Archbishop Michael Bowen and Bishop Alan Clark serving as co-consecrators. Smith was later named Archbishop of Cardiff on October 26, 2001, following the resignation of the Capuchin John Ward amid a controversy about paedophile priests in the archdiocese[1] [2]. In regard to these sexual abuse cases, he declared that he "wanted to help people bind up the wounds and bring healing..."[3] Smith also voiced his opposition to living wills in 2004, fearing that "a proxy could make a decision to do away with someone for the motive of killing someone"[4].

The Archbishop has chaired the Catholic Truth Society since 1993, and the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship within the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales since 1998. He was also Chairman of the Central Religious Advisory Committee (CRAC) of the BBC and ITC from 2001 to 2004. In 2002 Smith was made a Sub-Prelate and Chaplain of the Venerable Order of Saint John, and later an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wales, Lampeter in 2004 and also of Cardiff University in 2006.


  1. ^ BBC News. New Archbishop of Cardiff enthroned December 4, 2001
  2. ^ BBC News. Frail Pope sees Wales' archbishop October 18, 2003
  3. ^ BBC News. New Archbishop's reconciliation call October 26, 2001
  4. ^ BBC News. Living wills: 'My right to choose' December 14, 2004


Preceded by
Michael George Bowen		 Bishop of East Anglia
1995—2001		 Succeeded by
Michael Charles Evans
Preceded by
John Aloysius Ward, OFM Cap		 Archbishop of Cardiff
2001 – present		 Incumbent


v • d • e
Catholic Archbishops and Bishops in England and Wales
Province of Westminster
Province of Birmingham
Province of Liverpool
John Rawsthorne (Hallam) · Patrick O'Donoghue (Lancaster) · Arthur Roche (Leeds) · Patrick Kelly (Liverpool) · Terence Patrick Drainey (Diocese of Middlesbrough) · vacant (Hexham and Newcastle) · Terence Brain (Diocese of Salford)
Province of Southwark
Province of Cardiff
Peter Smith (Cardiff) · Mark Jabalé (Menevia) · Edwin Regan (Wrexham)
Military Ordinariate
The Apostolic Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Great Britain