The Archbishop of Liverpool heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province.

History

With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the centuries from Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

 by instituting Catholic dioceses on the regular historical pattern. Thus Pope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...

 issued the Bull Universalis Ecclesiae

Universalis Ecclesiae

Universalis Ecclesiae is the incipit of the papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to the dioceses, as...

of 29 September 1850 by which thirteen new dioceses which did not formally claim any continuity with the pre-Elizabethan English dioceses were created.

One of these was the diocese of Liverpool. At its creation it comprised the hundreds of West Derby

West Derby (hundred)

The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...

, Leyland

Leyland (hundred)

The Leyland hundred, or Leylandshire, was a hundred of the English county of Lancashire. It covered the parishes of Brindle, Chorley, Croston, Eccleston, Hoole, Leyland, Penwortham, Rufford, Standish and Tarleton....

, Lonsdale

Lonsdale (hundred)

Lonsdale was a hundred of Lancashire, England. For many decades, it covered most of the northwestern part of Lancashire around Morecambe Bay, including the detached part around Furness, and the city of Lancaster....

 and Amounderness

Amounderness

Amounderness was a hundred of Lancashire in North West England. Formerly, the name had been used for territories now in Lancashire and north of the River Ribble that had been included in Domesday Yorkshire.-Etymology and history:...

 in Lancashire, plus the Isle of Man.

In the early period from 1850 the diocese was a suffragan of the Metropolitan See of Westminster

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and...

, but a further development was the creation under Pope Pius X

Pope Pius X

Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...

, on 28 October 1911, of a new Province of Liverpool.

Location

The archdiocese covers an area of 1,165 km² (450 sq. mi.) of the west of the County of Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

 south of the Ribble

River Ribble

The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...

, parts of Merseyside

Merseyside

Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

, Cheshire

Cheshire

Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...

, Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

, the historic Hundreds of West Derby

West Derby (hundred)

The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...

 and Leyland

Leyland (hundred)

The Leyland hundred, or Leylandshire, was a hundred of the English county of Lancashire. It covered the parishes of Brindle, Chorley, Croston, Eccleston, Hoole, Leyland, Penwortham, Rufford, Standish and Tarleton....

 and the Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

. The see is in the City of Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, where the Archbishop's cathedra

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

or seat is located in the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Christ the King

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Christ the King is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. The Metropolitan Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in the city...

, which was dedicated on 14 May 1967.

The Archbishop's residence is Archbishop's House, Carnatic Road, Liverpool.

The current archbishop is His Grace the Most Reverend Patrick Altham Kelly

Patrick Altham Kelly

The Most Reverend Patrick Altham Kelly, KC*HS is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Liverpool and was formerly Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales....

, MKHS, STL, PhL, the 11th Bishop and 8th Metropolitan Archbishop of Liverpool.

The archbishop is currently supported by Auxiliary Bishop The Right Reverend Thomas Anthony Williams

Thomas Anthony Williams

thumb|right|250px|Tom WilliamsThomas Anthony Williams is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Liverpool....

. The Right Reverend Vincent Malone

Vincent Malone

Vincent Malone is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Liverpool....

 retired in October 2006.

Roman Catholic Bishops of Liverpool

Roman Catholic Bishops of Liverpool
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1850	1856	George Hilary Brown George Hilary Brown George Hilary Brown was an English prelate who served as the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Liverpool from 1850 to 1856.-Early life:...	Previously Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District The Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District was the title given to the bishop who headed an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England...  (1840–1850). Appointed the first Bishop of Liverpool on 29 September 1850. Died in office on 25 January 1856.
1856	1872	Alexander Goss Alexander Goss Alexander Goss was a Roman Catholic Bishop; his highest posting was as the Bishop of Liverpool.-Biography:Second Bishop of Liverpool; born at Ormskirk, Lancashire of recusant background, connected on both sides with old Lancashire families who had always been Catholics; his father was descended...	Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Liverpool and Titular Bishop of Gerrha on 29 July 1853 and consecrated on 25 September 1853. Succeeded Bishop of Liverpool on 25 January 1856. Died in office on 3 October 1872.
1873	1894	Bernard O'Reilly Bernard O'Reilly (bishop of Liverpool) Bernard O’Reilly was an Irish-born prelate who served as the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Liverpool from 1873 until his death in 1894.-Early life and ministry:...	Appointed bishop on 28 February 1873 and consecrated on 19 March 1873. Died in office on 9 April 1894.
1894	1911	Thomas Whiteside Thomas Whiteside (archbishop of Liverpool) Thomas Whiteside was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Liverpool before being elevated to Archbishop of Liverpool ....	Appointed bishop on 12 July 1894 and consecrated on 15 August 1894. Elevated from bishop to archbishop on 28 October 1911.

Roman Catholic Archbishops of Liverpool

Roman Catholic Archbishops of Liverpool
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1911	1921	Thomas Whiteside Thomas Whiteside (archbishop of Liverpool) Thomas Whiteside was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Liverpool before being elevated to Archbishop of Liverpool ....	Elevated from bishop to archbishop on 28 October 1911. Died in office on 28 January 1921.
1921	1928	Frederick William Keating Frederick William Keating Frederick William Keating was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served firstly as Bishop of Northampton from 1908 to 1921, then Archbishop of Liverpool from 1921 to 1928....	Previously Bishop of Northampton Bishop of Northampton The Bishop of Northampton is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton in the Province of Westminster, England.The see is in the town of Northampton where the bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint Thomas of Canterbury.The current bishop is the Right...  (1908–1921). Appointed Archbishop of Liverpool on 13 June 1921. Died in office on 7 February 1928.
1928	1953	Richard Downey Richard Downey Richard Downey was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Liverpool from 1928 until his death....	Appointed archbishop on 3 August 1928 and consecrated on 21 September 1928. Died in office on 16 June 1953.
1953	1956	William Godfrey	Previously Apostolic Delegate Nuncio Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...  to Great Britain Nunciature to Great Britain The Nunciature to Great Britain is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James with the rank of an ambassador. The office of the nunciature is located...  and Chargé d'affaires Chargé d'affaires In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...  to the Polish government-in-exile. Appointed Archbishop of Liverpool on 10 November 1953. Translated to the archbishopric of Westminster Archbishop of Westminster The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...  on 3 December 1956.
1957	1963	John Carmel Heenan	Previously Bishop of Leeds Bishop of Leeds The Bishop of Leeds is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds in the Province of Liverpool, England.The Vicariate Apostolic of the Yorkshire District was elevated to diocese status as the Diocese of Beverley on 29 September 1850, which was suppressed on 20 December 1878 and its area...  (1951–1957). Appointed Archbishop of Liverpool on 2 May 1957. Translated to the archbishopric of Westminster Archbishop of Westminster The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...  on 2 September 1963.
1964	1976	George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool from 29 January 1964 to 7 February 1976.... , A.A. Assumptionists The Augustinians of the Assumption constitute a congregation of Catholic religious , founded in Nîmes, southern France, by Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon in 1845, initially approved by Rome in 1857 and definitively approved in 1864 . The current Rule of Life of the congregation draws its inspiration from...	Previously Bishop of Salford Bishop of Salford The Bishop of Salford is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford in the Province of Liverpool, England.With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the...  (1955–1964). Appointed Archbishop of Liverpool on 29 January 1964. Resigned on 7 February 1976 and died on 13 September 1978.
1976	1996	Derek John Harford Worlock	Previously Bishop of Portsmouth Bishop of Portsmouth The Bishop of Portsmouth is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Portsmouth in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and has its see in the City of Portsmouth, where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Thomas of...  (1965–1976). Appointed Archbishop of Liverpool on 7 February 1976. Died in office on 6 February 1996.
1996	present	Patrick Altham Kelly Patrick Altham Kelly The Most Reverend Patrick Altham Kelly, KC*HS is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Liverpool and was formerly Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales....	Previously Bishop of Salford Bishop of Salford The Bishop of Salford is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford in the Province of Liverpool, England.With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the... (1984–1996). Appointed Archbishop of Liverpool on 21 May 1996.