Pope Leo XIV named Archbishop Richard Moth as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Northampton after its ordinary, Bishop David James Oakley, was charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a minor earlier this month.
On June 30, Pope Leo appointed Archbishop Moth, who currently serves as the archbishop of Westminster and the head of the Church in England and Wales, to temporarily lead the Diocese of Northampton as Bishop Oakley faces criminal charges. On June 24, Oakley, 70, was charged with two counts of rape of a girl under age 16 after being arrested last fall.
“I am humbled by the trust which His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has placed in me by assigning me this mission as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Northampton, in addition to my ministry as the Archbishop of Westminster,” Moth said in a statement after the appointment.
“I ask those whom I am called to serve to pray for me, that the Lord will continue to give me His spiritual guidance and wisdom needed to fulfil these duties,” the archbishop added.
Oakley is scheduled for a hearing at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on August 14.
Last week, the Catholic Diocese of Northampton confirmed the charges “after an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations,” calling the case “very distressing for all concerned.” However, the diocese said it could not comment further due to active legal proceedings.
Oakley is reportedly a “popular and energetic bishop who has been a strong supporter of synodality and has encouraged every parish to have a pastoral council,” per The Tablet. He serves as an episcopal adviser for Catholic Charismatic Renewal in England and Wales.
In October, the Diocese of Northampton stated that the bishop had “taken a leave of absence for personal reasons.”
The next month, Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham said that “Such a withdrawal from public ministry does not constitute Bishop David’s removal from office as Bishop of Northampton, nor does it in any way imply guilt.”