Newman University appointed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor as its first Chancellor in 2014.

His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor is Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster and former spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Born on 24th August 1932 in Reading, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on 28th October 1956. On 21st December 1977, he was ordained Bishop of Arundel and Brighton. From 1983 to 2000 he was Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Committee for Christian Unity, and, from 1994 to 2000, was Chair of the Department for Mission and Unity. In 2000 he was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity by then Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Dr George Carey in recognition of all his work for Christian unity.

The Death of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor 1^st September 2017

We are very saddened to hear the news of the death of Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, Chancellor of Newman University.

Professor Scott Davidson, Vice Chancellor of Newman University, Birmingham, said: “The thoughts of everyone at Newman University are with our Chancellor Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor at this time and we pray that his strong faith gives comfort to his family, friends and colleagues.

“Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor has been a real advocate for the university – one of the first Catholic universities in England since the Reformation – since his appointment in 2014 and has proven to be a trusted and supportive advisor to both myself and my predecessor as Vice Chancellor during that time.

“A pioneer in his ecumenical and interfaith work, he provided spiritual guidance during an unprecedented period of social change and, as a university that is committed to providing students with a formative education shaped by intellectual rigour and an awareness of how their actions and decisions impact and are shaped by the world around them, he was the natural choice to be our inaugural Chancellor.”