‘Pope Leo XIV saw me ordained in flying visit to Lancaster’

Moments after Pope Leo XIV appeared on the balcony at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome following his dramatic election to the papacy, one retired bishop’s mind was suddenly cast back 17 years to a sunny day in Lancashire.

The new pontiff Robert Prevost attended the ordination of Rt Rev Michael Campbell as Bishop of Lancaster in 2008 when he was just a priest on a flying visit to the city’s St Peter’s Cathedral.

“I knew he was there but I was so caught up in the centre of the celebrations I didn’t see him,” the now-retired Bishop Campbell recalled.

The 83-year-old said of the new Pope: “He’s a fine man and works terribly hard but you would never think he would assume the highest office – who could have foreseen that in 2008?”

Pope Leo, 69, was elected on Thursday to become the 267th Pope and the first American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

People have since shared images of that day in St Peter’s Cathedral in Lancaster when Bishop Campbell was ordained in 2008 after spotting the future pope among the clergy.

Then a priest, he was jointly-presiding over the bishop’s installation, with both men members of the Augustinian Order, a Roman Catholic religious order which the future pope headed from 2001 to 2013.

“I have met him many times since then – the last time was in Rome when he was made a cardinal two years ago by the late Pope Francis,” Bishop Campbell said.

“I do know him well.”

Bishop Campbell was visiting family in Northern Ireland when the white smoke started billowing from the Sistine Chapel signifying the new pontiff’s arrival.

“I was out driving in the lovely County Antrim countryside because I thought the vote might go onto another day,” he said.

“But when I heard on the car radio I pulled over by the side of the road and felt very emotional and very pleased – I felt it was a very good choice.”

Bishop Campbell, who is now based in his order’s friary in Hammersmith in London, described Pope Leo as a “very unassuming and modest man”.

“Very gifted and very capable but very much at ease with himself and those around him – he is very easy to talk to. A good man really,” he said.