Basil Hume

George Basil Hume (1923–1999) was an English Roman Catholic priest and Benedictine monk. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he joined the Benedictine community at Ampleforth Abbey and was ordained to the priesthood in 1950. He later became Abbot of Ampleforth. In 1976 he was appointed Archbishop of Westminster, serving as the senior Catholic prelate in England and Wales. The same year he was created a cardinal, widely known as Cardinal Basil Hume. He remained Archbishop of Westminster until his death in 1999. Hume was noted for his public leadership of the Catholic Church in Britain during the late 20th century.