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We always knew Vincent Nichols would be the kind of church leader who rides to the sound of the guns, but few were expecting him to . Archbishop Nicols knows that 4.2 million Catholics in England and Wales constitute a serious body of public opinion. If that number of people could be mobilized into a letter-writing campaign in opposition to, for example, TV ads for abortion services, they would have to be taken very seriously. In predictably media-savvy terms, Archbishop Nicols says the public don't want abortion advertised 'alongside a packet of crisps'.

I must confess to liking the sound of Vincent Nichols. That's not to say I agree with everything he says, but who wouldn't welcome the arrival of a church leader who speaks clearly, says what he thinks, means what he says, and makes no apology for having a view with which others might disagree?

On the , the archbishop was asked about Tony Blair's recent interview with the gay magazine Attitude, in which Mr Blair argues that the Catholic Church needs to modernize it views on such issues as homosexuality. The archbishop's response? Essentially, he says, Tony Blair's a politician, but I'll take my lead on matters of faith and ethics from Pope Benedict. Some people may read that comment as equivalent to "Tony needs to remember he's not the Pope.'