IN THE vestibule of the church of St Alphonsus Liguori, on Rome’s via Merulana, an announcement dominates its noticeboard: that Vincent Gerard Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, has been created a cardinal and that St Alphonsus has been named as his titular church. Each member of the College of Cardinals is given a titular church in the Eternal City, thus linking them to the Pope in his role as Bishop of Rome.It’s not clear why St Alphonsus was picked for Cardinal Nichols but there are some aspects of it which make it an appropriate choice. It was built in 1855-59, predating Westminster Cathedral by 40 years, and is in the neo-Gothic style rather than the cathedral’s more Byzantine look, but is ­similarly decorated with mosaics. Its architect, George Wigley, was Sco