Statement from Bishop Joseph E Strickland on the Appointment of Bishop Shane Mackinlay as Archbishop of Brisbane

June 18, 2025

With deep concern for the faithful of the Church, I feel compelled to address the recent appointment of Bishop Shane Mackinlay as Archbishop of Brisbane by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. While we owe filial respect and obedience to the Holy Father in matters properly within his authority, this appointment raises serious pastoral and doctrinal questions.

Bishop Mackinlay has publicly expressed support for the possibility of ordaining women to the diaconate—a position that not only introduces grave confusion but directly challenges the consistent teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church. As Pope St. John Paul II stated unequivocally in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women,” and this principle extends, by logical and theological coherence, to the sacramental diaconate, which is a part of Holy Orders.

The push to redefine the diaconate to include women is not a matter of minor discipline or pastoral adaptation—it is a rupture with the unbroken tradition of the Church and a step toward undermining the very nature of the sacramental priesthood. While women have always held an exalted place in the Church—as martyrs, mystics, and saints—their dignity is not advanced by imitating male roles, but by fully living out the unique vocation given to them by God.

Appointing a bishop who holds such views to shepherd a major archdiocese is a source of scandal and division. The faithful deserve clarity, not ambiguity; fidelity, not experimentation.

In this time of confusion, I encourage all Catholics to remain steadfast in the truth handed down from the Apostles. Christ is the Head of the Church, and His design for the sacraments cannot be altered by pressure from the world or misguided attempts at modernization.

Let us pray for Archbishop Mackinlay, that he may reaffirm his commitment to the unchanging teaching of the Church. And let us pray for Pope Leo XIV, that he may be guided by the Holy Spirit to appoint shepherds who uphold the fullness of Catholic truth without compromise.

In the Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland