Bishop Anthony Ireland has been appointed as the new Archbishop of Hobart by Pope Leo XIV, bringing decades of pastoral and academic experience to Tasmania’s Catholic community.
The announcement, made on Friday evening, will see the 68-year-old Melbourne auxiliary bishop succeed Archbishop Julian Porteous, who is retiring after nearly 12 years of service.
Archbishop Peter A Comensoli of Melbourne praised the appointment, describing Bishop Ireland as “a great priest and bishop” who had been “a blessing to the Archdiocese of Melbourne and beyond.”
“He will be a fine shepherd, coming as a missionary to the people of Tasmania with a deep pastoral heart and a wealth of experience,” Comensoli said.
Bishop Ireland, who grew up in Melbourne’s inner south, said he received news of his appointment “with a heart full of quiet joy.”
“It is with a spirit of service and devotion that I come to the Archdiocese of Hobart – to lead in faith, to serve with love, and to worship in spirit and truth,” he said.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said Ireland’s “experience in the Archdiocese of Melbourne will stand him in good stead” in his new role.
Bishop Ireland brings substantial credentials to the position, holding advanced theological degrees from prestigious Roman universities and having served as a lecturer in moral theology at Catholic Theological College in East Melbourne.
His ministry has spanned several Melbourne parishes including Grovedale, Torquay, Mentone and Frankston. He was ordained as a priest in 1987 and became an auxiliary bishop in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the national level, Bishop Ireland chairs the Episcopal Panel for Doctrine and Morals and contributes to the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education.
Archbishop Comensoli encouraged the faithful to keep Bishop Ireland “close in prayer as he takes up this new call” while expressing gratitude for Archbishop Porteous’s service to the Hobart archdiocese.
