Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2024

Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe SDB has been re-elected President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference on the first day of the May plenary meeting in Sydney.

Archbishop Costelloe has been President for two terms and this will be his final term under the three-term limit rule.

Bishop of Sale Greg Bennet was re-elected Vice President. This will be his second term.

Elections were also held for members of the Permanent Committee.  Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher, Archbishop of Adelaide Patrick O’Regan, Maronite Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay and Bishop of Townsville Tim Harris were re-elected.

Archbishop of Brisbane Shane Mackinlay was elected to the Permanent Committee replace Archbishop Anthony Randazzo, who has been appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts and will move to Rome in June.

Archbishop Randazzo’s replacement as one of two Australian representatives on the Federation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania executive is Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli. (Bishop of Wollongong Brian Mascord is the other Australian representative on the FCBCO.)

Archbishop of Hobart Anthony Ireland was elected chair of the Episcopal Panel for Canon Law.

Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle Michael Kennedy was elected chair of the Bishops Commission for Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue.

Two new bishops were welcomed to the conference and appointed to commission roles.

Bishop of Ballarat Mark Freeman was appointed to the Bishops Commission for Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue.

And Auxiliary Bishop of Perth Nelson Po was appointed to the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service.