Overview of the role of the Catholic Church in Australia
See also: Catholic Church and Christianity in Australia
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2017)
Catholic Church in Australia
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
Type
National polity
Classification
Catholic
Orientation
Latin
Scripture
Bible
Theology
Catholic theology
Polity
Episcopal
Governance
Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference
Pope
Pope Francis
President of ACBC
Timothy Costelloe SDB
Region
Australia
Language
English, Latin
Origin
1788 Sydney, New South Wales
Number of followers
5,886,980 (2021)
Official website
catholic.org.au
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Catholicism portal
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e
People who identify as Catholic as a percentage of the total population in Australia divided geographically by statistical local area, as of the 2011 censusMary MacKillop, co-founder of the Josephite Sisters became Australia's first canonised saint in October 2010.
The Australian Catholic Church or Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Holy See. From origins as a suppressed, mainly Irish minority in early colonial times, the church has grown to be the largest Christian denomination in Australia, with a culturally diverse membership of around 5,075,907 people, representing about 20% of the overall population of Australia according to the 2021 ABS Census data.[1]
The church is the largest non-government provider of welfare and education services in Australia.[2] Catholic Social Services Australia aids some 450,000 people annually, while the St Vincent de Paul Society's 40,000 members form the largest volunteer welfare network in the country. In 2016, the church had some 760,000 students in more than 1,700 schools.[3][4][5]
The church in Australia has five provinces: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. It has 35 dioceses, comprising geographic areas as well as the military diocese and dioceses for the Chaldean, Maronite, Melkite, Syro-Malabar (St Thomas Christians), and Ukrainian Rites.[6] The national assembly of bishops is the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC).[7] There are a further 175 Catholic religious orders operating in Australia, affiliated under Catholic Religious Australia.[6][7] One Australian has been recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church: Mary MacKillop, who co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart ("Josephite") religious institute in the 19th century.[8]
^"Cultural diversity: Census, 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics". 7 April 2022.
^Greg Sheridan; God is Good for You, Allen & Unwin, 2018, p.25.
^Greg Sheridan; God is Good for You; Allen & Unwin; 2018, p.25-26
^"2016 Census: Schools, Australia, 2016". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference ABS2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ab"Catholic Church in Australia". www.catholic.org.au. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
^ ab"Structure - Catholic Church in Australia". www.catholic.org.au. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
^Mary MacKillop officially declared a saint; abc.net.au; 18 Oct 2010
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