In 2007, Longley played a prominent role in the integration of the independent Soho Masses Pastoral Council,[7] a group that sponsors Masses for homosexual Catholics, into the Archdiocese.[8][9] The Bishop helped to form an agreement that moved the group's liturgies from an Anglicanparish to a Catholic church (the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory), as well as a statement on ministry to homosexual Catholics that, while following Catholic teaching on homosexuality, underscored that "the Church's pastoral outreach recognises that baptised persons with a homosexual inclination continue to look to the Church for a place where they might live in authentic human integrity and holiness of life."[8] In a BBC interview, Longley said that "it's never been the practice of the Catholic Church, as it were, to 'means-test' people before admitting them to the celebration of the Eucharist. It would be a mistake to jump to conclusions or to generalise about anybody's particular lifestyle, or their state of grace."[8]
On 1 October 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Longley as the Archbishop of Birmingham. He succeeded Archbishop Vincent Nichols, who was translated from Birmingham to Westminster earlier in 2009. Archbishop Longley was installed at St Chad's Cathedral on 8 December 2009, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Before the ceremony, Archbishop Longley spoke of how much he was looking forward to joining both the Catholic and wider Christian communities in the Midlands and contributing to their work. Archbishop Longley played a leading role in the plans for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman and presented the petition for canonisation to Pope Benedict XVI, which took place in Cofton Park, Birmingham on 19 September 2010 during the papal visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010.[13][14]
On Tuesday, 18 September 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Longley to serve as one of the Synod Fathers for the October 2012 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.[16]
^"Archbishop Bernard Longley". Catholic News. Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. 9 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
^"Archbishop Bernard Longley". St. Chad's Cathedral. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.