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'New Pope saw me ordained in flying visit to city'

Paul Burnell
BBC News, Lancashire
Bishop Michael Campbell Bishop Campbell (left) has grey hair, metallic spectacles and a silver chain and is wearing a white clerical dog collar with a black shirt. Bishop Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV is wearing a black cardinal's soutane with red edgings and buttons, and a red skull cap. He has thin greying hair.Bishop Michael Campbell
Bishop Campbell (left) missed meeting the future Pope Leo XIV (right) in 2008 but met him several times since including this occasion two years ago when the then Bishop Robert Prevost was made a cardinal

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":[]}