Pope Francis has appointed Most Rev Anthony Randazzo DD JCL, Bishop of Broken Bay, to the role of Apostolic Administrator of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Australia.

The Ordinariate was created by Pope Benedict in 2012 to provide a pathway for Anglicans to full communion in the Roman Catholic Church while retaining elements of their worship traditions and spiritual heritage in their union with the Catholic Church.

Although Bishop Anthony has been called to serve under the direct authority of the Pope, in communion with the bishops of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, he will continue as Bishop of Broken Bay.

“The Ordinariate, which is equivalent to a diocese, is built up of communities and indivuals of the Anglican heritage gathered around the Ordinary,” Bishop Anthony said following the Vatican announcement on Friday night (AEST). 

“I accept this appointment with great anticipation, however I realise I have much to learn, especially regarding the rich, beautiful, and distinctive theological, spiritual, and liturgical patrimony of the Ordinariate.”

There are three Personal Ordinariates in the world: Our Lady of Walsingham in the United Kingdom; the Chair of St Peter in the United States and Canada; and, Our Lady of the Southern Cross here in Australia.

Based in Sydney, the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross comprises communities in Oceania and Japan.