Pope Francis appoints new Bishop of Toowoomba, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference names new general secretary

Bishop Ken Howell has been appointed as the seventh Bishop of Toowoomba, he succeeds Bishop Robert McGuckin, who has led the Diocese of Toowoomba since 2012.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has also named a new general secretary. Fr Chris de Souza will take on the new role in August.

Read more about the news below.

Australian bishops back local Advent appeal for Ukrainian people

The country’s bishops are encouraging Catholics to respond to the call from the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia to provide financial support to people in the war-torn nation as winter arrives.

Registrations open for Evangelise conference

Registrations are now open for Evangelise, a national online conference for Catholics set to be held from 20 to 22 October.

A statement from Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB on Queen Elizabeth

The death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a long reign marked by extraordinary constancy, fidelity,
courage and service, will bring great sadness to many people in Australia, including members of
the Catholic community.

Australian synthesis for global Synod of Bishops published

Catholics in Australia have expressed a strong need for a Church that is missionary and a Eucharistic community that is inclusive, the national synthesis for the global Synod on Synodality reveals.

Bishops lament family, domestic violence in annual justice statement

Australia’s bishops have used their annual social justice statement to condemn the scourge of domestic and family violence, saying relationships must be “marked by respect and freedom rather than coercion and control”.