Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OP has extended his congratulations to the country’s two newest archbishops.
On 18 June Pope Leo XIV named Bishop of Sandhurst Shane Mackinlay as the new Archbishop of Brisbane, following that two days later with an announcement of the appointment of auxiliary bishop of Melbourne Anthony Ireland as the new Archbishop of Hobart.
Bishop Mackinlay will succeed Archbishop Emeritus of Brisbane Mark Coleridge and Bishop Ireland will take over from Archbishop Emeritus of Hobart Julian Porteous.
“I know each will bring their own gifts to the leadership of their dioceses and will be warmly welcomed by their communities,” Archbishop Fisher said.
“I also acknowledge Archbishops Coleridge and Porteous, who have faithfully served as priests for more than 50 years and bishops for more than 20 and wish them a happy and relaxing retirement.”
Both Archbishop Coleridge and Archbishop Porteous had each been in their roles since 2013.
Bishop Mackinlay was born in Melbourne in 1965 and grew up in Ballarat where he graduated dux of St Patrick’s College in 1982.
He has bachelor’s degree in theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity and physics, which he obtained from Monash University, before going onto do graduate studies in philosophy in Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and completing a master’s degree and a doctorate.
From 2012 to 2014 he was the spokesperson for the church during the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations.
He has also served as vice president of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia and a delegate to the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
“I am deeply honoured by Pope Leo’s decision to appoint me as Archbishop of Brisbane—a diocese that has such a strong tradition of fostering the liturgical, spiritual, evangelising and educational endeavours of the Catholic community, both within the Archdiocese and more broadly,” Bishop Mackinlay said.
Archbishop Coleridge welcomed the appointment, saying Bishop Mackinlay will “be a distinguished addition to the line of archbishops.”
Bishop Ireland likewise wants to honour Hobart’s Catholic spirit, saying he comes to the archdiocese with a “spirit of service and devotion.”
Born and raised in Melbourne, he was ordained in 1987, completing a doctorate in theology in Rome before returning home and lecturing in Moral Theology at the Catholic Theological College.
He was appointed as auxiliary bishop by the late Pope Francis of Melbourne in 2021 and installed the following month.
Archbishop Porteous welcomed the new appointment, saying his successor “brings a wealth of experience” to the role.
Bishop Ireland will be Archbishop of Hobart installed in August and Bishop Mackinlay will be installed as Archbishop of Brisbane from September.