Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart


The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Hobart and covering Tasmania, Australia.
Immediately subject to the Holy See, the area covered was initially administered by the Vicariate Apostolic of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land. In 1842, the Vicariate Apostolic of Hobart was erected; elevated as a Diocese a few weeks later; and as an Archdiocese in 1888.
St Mary's Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart, currently Julian Porteous.

History

Established 5 April 1842 as the Vicariate Apostolic of Hobart and became Diocese of Hobart on 22 April 1842.
On 3 August 1888 as the Archdiocese of Hobart.

Bishops

The following individuals have been appointed as Roman Catholic Bishops of Hobart or any of its precursor titles:
OrderNameTitleDate enthronedReign endedTerm of officeReason for term end
1Robert Willson †Bishop of Hobart22 April 184216 February 1866Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Hobart
2Daniel Murphy †Coadjutor Bishop of Hobart14 November 18658 March 1866Succeeded as Bishop of Hobart
2Daniel Murphy †Bishop of Hobart8 March 18663 August 1888Elevated as Archbishop of Hobart
2Daniel Murphy †Archbishop of Hobart3 August 1888Died in office
3Patrick Delany †Coadjutor Archbishop of Hobart15 June 1893Succeeded as Archbishop of Hobart
3Patrick Delany †Archbishop of Hobart7 May 1926Died in office
4William Barry †Coadjutor Archbishop of Hobart7 April 19198 May 1926Succeeded as Archbishop of Hobart
4William Barry †Archbishop of Hobart8 May 192613 June 1929Died in office
5William Hayden †Archbishop of Hobart11 February 19302 October 1936Died in office
6Justin Simonds †Archbishop of Hobart18 February 19376 September 1942Appointed as Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne
7Archbishop of Hobart7 December 1942Resigned and appointed Archbishop Emeritus of Hobart
8Guilford Clyde Young †10 October 195420 September 1955Succeeded as Archbishop of Hobart
8Guilford Clyde Young †Archbishop of Hobart16 March 1988Died in office
9Eric D'Arcy †Archbishop of Hobart24 October 198826 July 1999Retired and appointed Archbishop Emeritus of Hobart
10Adrian Leo DoyleCoadjutor Archbishop of Hobart10 November 199726 July 1999Succeeded as Archbishop of Hobart
10Adrian Leo DoyleArchbishop of Hobart26 July 199919 July 2013Retired
11Julian PorteousArchbishop of Hobart17 September 2013presentIncumbent

The above table also includes coadjutors, all of whom later served in this see. There was another coadjutor, with appointment not taking effect: Thomas Butler †, appointed Coadjutor Bishop on 13 Mar 1860.

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart.

Parishes

Southern Tasmania

Northern Tasmania

North Western Tasmania

Controversy

In 2007 Gregory Ferguson, a Marist priest, was sentenced to two years jail for offences in 1971 against two boys aged 13 at Marist College, Burnie, Tasmania. On 13 December 2007 he was sentenced to an additional three years' jail for offences against a third boy.
While in 2008, a jury found former priest Roger Michael Bellemore guilty on three counts of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person under the age of 17 years in the 1960s and 1970s, while he was at the same College.
In 2015, Archbishop Julian Porteous was notified that a complaint had been filed with the office of Tasmania's Anti-discrimination Commissioner in relation to the distribution in all Tasmanian Catholic schools of a booklet, Don't Mess with Marriage, stating marriage should be a "heterosexual union between a man and a woman" and changing the law would endanger a child's upbringing. The complaint was filed by a transgender activist and Federal Greens candidate Martine Delaney. The complaint was called "'an attempt to silence' the Church over same-sex marriage" by Archbishop Porteous. The complaint was treated as a possible breach of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998, and sparked fierce debate on the issues of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and tolerance. The complaint was ultimately withdrawn.
It has been reported that, "The real problem with the Porteous case was that it was unresolved".