New acting director for Media Office

A new acting director is taking over at the Catholic Media Office - the agency which deals with news concerning the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Tom Horwood will succeed Mgr Kieran Conry at the end of January 2001. Fr Conry has come to the end of his term as director after seven years in the office, and is due to return to his own diocese of Birmingham. Mr Horwood has been working at the CMO since 1996. The unusual step of appointing an acting director follows the decision by the bishops at their meeting in November to set up a review of communications within the Catholic Church in England and Wales. This independent review is expected to report to the bishops at their 2001 Low Week meeting.