First Religious elected as ACBC President takes up his duties

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. PHOTO: ACBC.

As he commences his tenure as president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB sees one of his key tasks as ensuring the bishops “remain united in our service of God’s people”.

In an interview with the Bishops Conference’s Media Blog, Archbishop Costelloe admitted he was “surprised and somewhat daunted” when he was elected president of the Conference in May.

“At the same time, I was and am conscious of the trust the bishops of Australia have placed in me. I will certainly do my best to repay that trust,” he said.

Archbishop Costelloe also reflected on a pair of firsts – becoming the first bishop of a West Australian diocese elected president and the first member of a religious order.

“I think it is a good thing that the presidency of the Conference has in recent years been held by bishops from Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane – and now Perth,” he said.

“The Catholic Church is present and active right across Australia and each diocese has its own characteristics and history, and its own unique challenges and opportunities, all underpinned by our common faith.

“There really is unity in diversity among the bishops and the choice of the Archbishop of Perth as the new president demonstrates this.”

On his membership of a religious institute – the Salesians of Don Bosco – Archbishop Costelloe said the increasing number of bishops who are members of religious orders recognises “the role religious life plays in the Church as a living sign of the fundamental values which should underpin the lives of every disciple”, namely poverty, chastity and obedience.

About one quarter of Australia’s bishops are members of religious orders.

In his interview with Media Blog, Archbishop Costelloe reflects on the Plenary Council, for which he served as president, the place of the Church in a society increasingly rejecting faith and on the role of bishops in the 21st century.

This article was published on the ACBC Media Blog. To read the full Q & A interview with Archbishop Costelloe, click here.