The former Anglican Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, has been ordained to the Catholic priesthood. 

He was ordained on Saturday by the head of the Catholic Church in England, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory in London.

Cardinal Nichols said in his homily that he was confident Nazir-Ali's "insight and learning" would enrich the mission of the Catholic Church.

"In both the work of sustaining unity, and in our mission, the continuation of the priesthood of Christ in the ordained ministry is of such importance," he said.

"Through this priesthood, we hold together in Word and Sacrament. This is the deepest source of our unity. Yes, there is a great diversity of experience and perspective among the faithful but we share, willingly, a loving obedience to the one Master and to the gifts He gives so lavishly to His Holy Church."

He went on to call the ordination a "moment of great joy".

"It is a moment in which we ask the Lord to effect in you a full inclusion into the ordained ministry of the Catholic Church," he said, adding his hope that Nazir-Ali would "build on the fruitfulness of the priestly ministry you have faithfully exercised for so many years now".

Nazir-Ali served as the Anglican Bishop of Rochester from 1994 until 2009, and was an important figure in Anglican evangelicalism. 

He was outspoken about what he saw as the increasing waywardness of the Church of England, and finally announced last month that he had joined the Catholic Church after deliberating a switch for many years.

His announcement came just weeks after another Church of England bishop, Jonathan Goodall, confirmed he was leaving Anglicanism for the Catholic Church. He had been Bishop of Ebbsfleet for eight years.

The former Bishop of Burnley, John Goddard, was received into the Catholic Church in May this year.