Archbishop
Peter
Smith
'Legis Plenitudo Caritas'
Love is the fullness of the law
'Love can cause no harm
to your neighbour. and so
love is the fulfilment of the Law.' (Romans 13:10)
Archbishop of Southwark
The Most Reverend Peter Smith
Archbishop's House
150 St George's Road
London
SE1 6HX
Installed at St George's Cathedral, Southwark
on Thursday, 10th June 2010
Archbishop
Peter Smith was born in Battersea on 21st October 1943. He completed his
secondary education at Clapham College and gained his degree (LLB) from
Exeter University in 1966. He studied for the priesthood at St John's
Seminary, Wonersh, and was ordained Priest on 5th July 1972.
His first appointment was as an assistant priest at St Francis, Stockwell (1972 - 1974). In 1977 he gained his Doctorate in Canon Law (JCD) from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome and became Professor of Canon Law at St John's Seminary (1977 - 1984). He was parish priest of St Andrew's, Thornton Heath, (1984 - 1985) and Rector at St John's Seminary from 1985 - 1995.
He was appointed as Bishop of East Anglia in 1995 and Archbishop of Cardiff in 2001. On 30th April 2010, the Holy Father announced that he would succeed Archbishop Kevin McDonald as the tenth Archbishop of Southwark.
Archbishop Peter is Vice-President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Since 1998, he has been Chairman of the Department of Christian Responsibility and Citizenship of the Bishops' Conference.
His previous responsibilities have been as Chairman of the Catholic Truth Society (1993 - 2007) and Chairman of the Central Religious Advisory Committee (CRAC) of the BBC and ITC (2001 - 2004).
He was appointed Sub-Prelate and Chaplain of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 2002.
He has been awarded Honorary Fellowships at St Edmund's College, Cambridge (1997), the University of Wales, Lampeter (2004) and Cardiff University (2006).
Homilies and Addresses
For Archbishop Peter's Pastoral
Letters
please see the Pastoral Letters page
-
Homily at the Rite of Election in St George's Cathedral
on 16th February 2013 -
Homily at Christmas Midnight Mass 2012 in St George's Cathedral
-
Homily at the Closing Mass for the 100 Days of Peace
at St George's Cathedral on 23rd October 2012 -
Homily at the Inaugural Mass for the Year of Faith
at St George's Cathedral on 13th October 2012 -
Homily on Easter Sunday at St George's Cathedral on 8th April 2012
-
Homily at the Easter Vigil at St George's Cathedral on 7th April 2012
-
Homily at the Chrism Mass at St George's Cathedral on 4th April 2012
-
Homily at the Christmas Midnight Mass 2011 in St George's Cathedral which was televised by BBC One
- Homily at the Ordination Mass for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham at St George's Cathedral on 4th June 2011
- Homily at the Mass of Chrism at St George's Cathedral on 20th April 2011
- Homily at the Rite of Election at St George's Cathedral on 12th March 2011
- Homily at Christmas Midnight Mass at St George's Cathedral on 25th December 2010
- Address to the Autumn Assembly of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Autumn Assembly at the Amigo Hall on 16th October 2010
- Address at the Charter Day Service in Deal, Kent, on 14th October 2010
- Homily at the Southwark Headteachers' Conference at Ashford, Kent, on 7th - 8th October 2010
- Homily at the Memorial Mass for Corinne Bennett, MBE, at St George's Cathedral on 30th September 2010
- Address to the Christian Socialist Movement at Manchester Cathedral on 26th September 2010
- Homily at the Mass of Ordination of Philip Smith at St George's Cathedral on 25th September 2010
- Homily at the Mass for Headteachers at St George's Cathedral on 20th September 2010
- Address of Welcome to the Holy Father at Hyde Park on 18th September 2010
- Address at the opening of the new St John's Comprehensive School, Gravesend on 14th September 2010
- Homily at his Installation as Archbishop of Southwark in St George's Cathedral on 10th June 2010