His Grace, the Archbishop of Birmingham, England, Vincent Nichols, has spent the past couple days visiting Oxford. Much like the Holy Father’s secretary, His Grace is a favorite among the fairer sex: “He is the Brad Pitt of the hierarchy with looks, charm and a Hollywood smile” said one recent news article. He makes me flustered also, but in a different way. He confirmed me at the Oxford Oratory two summers ago and gave me some memorable advice and in little conversations that day. He used to be regarded as a “liberal”, but he is now taking some things in the direction of tradition. During his tenure, he has returned the Tridentine Mass to Oxford, so that it is now not too difficult to go to the Traditional Latin Mass in Oxfordshire. This is really a big improvement as there used to be, when I first came here, no Tridentine Missae whatsoever in Oxford (except for the SSPX up in town). Now he appears as one obvious successor at Westminster and many people are openly talking about this possibility. He celebrated a beautiful sung Mass this morning at Blackfriars, the Dominican study house in Oxford, and the church was packed, even though the Mass was for a Colloquium of the Society of Saint Catherine of Siena. People follow and support him and enjoy being with him.

I think, for that reason, it’s great that we have his support for the more traditional devotions of the Church and for vocations to the priesthood. I especially like his comments on priesthood: “It’s a mistake to think that our priestly identity is something we put on, like a collar. It isn’t. Rather it’s something already written within us. It is who we are ‘from my mother’s womb’. Priestly identity is who we are, at the deepest level. It is both self-discovery and self-fulfilment.” Archbishop Nichols has been particularly emphasizing that “a renewed focus on the Blessed Sacrament” is most important, saying that those parishes with flourishing vocations have always had continual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He has concerns, however, that the young men who seek to pursue the priestly vocation are not supported by society or by their families. He continues, “I don’t see mothers promoting vocations in the same way. These young men are coming from a context of much less certainty. . mothers no longer want their sons to be priests.”

While other dioceses in England seem to be bending over backwards to encourage lay participation in the Church, Archbishop Nichols has been warmly welcomed by more traditional folk because he appears to be heading in the direction of tradition rather than towards a compromise with the bad elements of recent years. I, too, have high hopes for him.