What’s happening to England’s dioceses?

Will English dioceses be consolidated in the coming years?

Is a drive underway to reduce the number of Catholic dioceses in England?

Bishop Marcus Stock of Leeds, England. © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

That is the question raised by a couple of recent episcopal moves by Pope Leo XIV.

On Dec. 22, 2025, the pope accepted the resignation of 76-year-old Bishop Terence Drainey of Middlesbrough. He appointed Bishop Marcu…