Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the former Archbishop of Westminster, has died peacefully in hospital at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer.

He was made a cardinal the year after becoming spiritual leader of the Catholic church in England and Wales in 2000.  One Jorge Bergoglio received the red hat in the same year.

He had lived in Chiswick, south-west London after retiring in 2009.

He had been admitted to hospital after falling ill two weeks ago.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, his successor as Archbishop of Westminster, said in a letter, 'I am writing to let you know the sad news that Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor died peacefully this afternoon, surrounded by his family and friends.

'Please pray for the repose of his soul. Pray, too, for his family, and those many friends and colleagues from the Diocese and far beyond who mourn his loss.

'Information about the funeral rites for the Cardinal will be circulated as soon as possible.'

A popular voice on radio and television, Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was the fifth son of a Reading GP who himself came from County Cork in Ireland.

He trained for the priesthood at the Venerable English College, Rome, where his two brothers, Brian and Patrick, were already training. He later joked that the Rector, Mgr John Macmillan, needed some persuading since it was thought that two Murphy-O'Connors in a seminary was quite enough. He was ordained in 1956.

After his curacies he became private secretary to the Bishop of Portsmouth, Derek Worlock, future Archbishop of Liverpool. In 1971 he became Rector of the English College helping 'broker a peace between the people who want to change everything and the people who want to change nothing' in the years following the changes of the Second Vatican Council. During this time he hosted the historic 1977 visit to Pope Paul VI of Anglican Archbishop Donald Coggan.

In 1977 Murphy-O'Connor he was appointed third Bishop of Arundel and Brighton. During his time there it was brought to his attention that a priest, Michael Hill, was a sexual abuser of children. In 2000, when O'Connor became Archbishop of Westminster, the case became known to the general public, when he was criticised for failing to take stronger action against Hill. He resisted calls to resign and went on to appoint Lord Nolan as chair of an independent review on child protection in the Catholic Church in England and Wales, leading to an exemplary child protection system in the Catholic Church in England and Wales that became a model for other provinces worldwide.

He was always a friend of Anglicans and evangelicals, who he had come to know well during his time as Co-Chairman of the Anglican and Roman Catholic International Commission, from 1982 until 2000.

He was a member of the Conclave that elected Benedict XVI but was too old, having passed his 80th birthday, when the time came to elect his successor. Like Benedict, Murphy-O'Connor was the first Archbishop of Westminster not to die in office but to retire to an emeritus position.

He loved sport, especially rugby and golf, and music; he was a talented pianist and occasionally performed at charity events and celebrations.

His publications include The Family of the Church (1984), At the Heart of the World (2004) and a volume of memoirs, An English Spring (2015). 'He will long be remembered for his personal warmth, humour and persuasive leadership,' the Catholic Church said.