A FORMER bishop who served the Inverclyde area has welcomed an appointment to a prominent role in the church.

Philip Tartaglia announced that solicitor Anthony Horan is the new director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office.

Mr Horan will act as a link between the church and the world of politics.

Bishop Tartaglia, who served the Paisley Diocese from 2005 until 2012 and is the current Archbishop of Glasgow, made the announcement in his role as president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.