Congratulating Archbishop Anthony Randazzo on his appointment to lead a Vatican dicastery, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP said he was “exceptionally prepared” for the mission ahead.
“It is a significant responsibility at an important moment in the life of the church,” Archbishop Fisher said in a statement, following the announcement the Bishop of Broken Bay would take up the role of Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts in Rome.
“Archbishop Randazzo has made an outstanding contribution to the church: as a priest, a curial official, a seminary rector, auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, then as Bishop of Broken Bay, as Ordinary of the Anglican Ordinariate, and as President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania. At every level, he has brought clarity, generosity, and a deep love for the church.
“On a personal level, I am grateful for his wise and considered counsel, and for the fidelity with which he has approached every task. I am confident that he will bring those same gifts to this new role in Rome, serving the church and the Holy Father so faithfully at a time of new leadership and fresh horizons.”
The pope’s latest appointment on 25 March fills a post in the Roman Curia that had been vacant since September. Archbishop Randazzo succeeds Archbishop Filippo Iannone, whom Pope Leo named prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in September.
Pope Leo XIV has named Australian Archbishop Anthony Randazzo as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Vatican body responsible for interpreting the Catholic Church’s canon law.
The pope’s latest appointment on 25 March fills a post in the Roman Curia that had been vacant since September. Archbishop Randazzo succeeds Archbishop Filippo Iannone, whom Pope Leo named prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in September.
Archbishop Randazzo, 59, is the bishop of Broken Bay in Australia and the president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania. In conjunction with the appointment, the pope granted him the personal title of archbishop.
The Dicastery for Legislative Texts, formerly known as the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, serves as the Roman Curia’s authority on the interpretation of existing canon law. It works closely with the church’s tribunals, but does not hold independent law-making authority.
A native of Australia, Archbishop Randazzo was ordained a priest in Brisbane in 1991 and later pursued studies in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He brings direct curial experience to the role, having worked for five years in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith beginning in 2004, a role that would have provided him with experience in the Vatican’s disciplinary section handling abuse cases.
Pope Francis appointed him as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney in 2016 before he was later named bishop of Broken Bay in 2019.
Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt, welcomed the appointment, calling it “a proud moment for Australia and the Pacific as we remain hopeful for a Papal visit to our region in 2028.”
Archbishop Randazzo will remain in Broken Bay for three months as apostolic administrator before relocating to Rome to assume his new duties. In a statement on social media, he said he was “deeply grateful to Pope Leo for the trust he has placed in me.”
