Julian Porteous, Tasmania's exorcist bishop, has reached the age at which bishops must retire

Tasmania's Catholic Archbishop Julian Porteous was at the service to help mark 120 years of the church (ABC Northern Tasmania: Hilary Burden)

Tasmania's Catholic Archbishop, Julian Porteous, is retiring, after having turned 75 — the age at which a bishop must step down.

The at-times controversial archbishop has submitted his resignation to the Vatican, but it could still be some time before his successor is appointed to replace him.

Since being installed by the late Cardinal George Pell in 2013, Archbishop Porteous has been an outspoken contributor to public debates — on issues including same-sex marriage, abortion, and religious discrimination laws, and has often spoken and written about "threats to religious freedom".

And earlier in his church career he was an exorcist in Sydney, even writing a field guide for other priests on the subject.

As archbishop, Julian Porteous's positions have attracted both critics and supporters within the Catholic Church.

In April this year, Archbishop Porteous told the Church and State conference in Hobart that "bit by bit through legislation, attempts are being made to silence the Christian voice and make our institutions comply with the LGBTQI agenda".

Later in May, a pastoral letter given to families at Catholic schools from the archbishop titled 'We Are Salt To The Earth' caused controversy.

The letter took aim at a "radicalised transgender lobby", legal abortion access, voluntary assisted dying and euthanasia, and same-sex marriage.

Chair of Concerned Catholics Tasmania, Sue Chen, described the letter as having a "heartless tone and intent" that it "jars with what we understand Christ stood for".

It wasn't the first letter to school parents to spark a reaction.

In 2015, the archbishop wrote a booklet called 'Don't Mess with Marriage'.

Activist Martine Delaney made a complaint to Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commission about the Don't Mess with Marriage booklet, arguing it was offensive, humiliating and insulting.

The Anti-Discrimination Commissioner decided the Catholic Church and the Tasmanian Archbishop had a case to answer, but when conciliation failed, Ms Delaney withdrew the complaint to avoid a lengthy tribunal process.

Writing about We Are Salt to the Earth, the director of the Christopher Dawson Centre for Cultural Studies, David Daintree, said:

"I defend the Archbishop's right — and affirm his duty — to uphold the teachings of the church in his letter to parents. I admire his courage in doing so, and deplore the accusations of 'hate speech' levelled against him by and in the media."

Dr Daintree also criticised some Catholic school parents whose approach to Catholic education, he said, "appears to be driven by the spirit of the supermarket: take the items you want and leave the rest".

Porteous sparks internal divisions

The divide between the mainstream parishioners and the often younger Catholics who support a return to more "old-fashioned" teachings has been highlighted in Tasmania in recent years, most notably in the Meander Valley and Huon Valley parishes.

In 2021, Archbishop Porteous wrote in a book about the future of the church that:

"A new generation of devout Catholics is rising up. Their number is growing. They are scattered across the nation, now in their thousands. This is a source of hope for the future of the Catholic Church in this nation."

He also wrote:

"The church may indeed become smaller. It may not have the prominence in society it once enjoyed. However, what is left will be a purer, humbler and more faithful group of believers."

Concerned Catholic Tasmania spokesperson Trish Hindmarsh told ABC Radio Hobart she hoped the next archbishop would be "open to the spirit" of the Second Vatican Council, which was held in the 1960s and examined relations between the Catholic Church and the modern world.

Dr Hindmarsh said Pope Francis was engaged in the spirit of Vatican 2.

"Sadly, in Tasmania we have had very, very limited opportunity to engage with that and we need leadership now, that will take that movement, initiated by Pope Francis, seriously and move it forward in the diocese," she said.

"I think [Archbishop Porteous's] legacy would be that he did his best, very best, but, sadly, I believe that a lot of what the archbishop initiated was a poor match for Tasmanian Catholic cultural needs and hopes."

Dr Hindmarsh praised Archbishop Porteous for leading the church's involvement in social housing.

Abetz praises 'fearless leader'

State government minister Eric Abetz said Archbishop Porteous had been "a wonderful leader" of Tasmania's Catholics.

"He's driven a lot of reforms, he's been outspoken, he's been a fearless leader for the Catholic doctrine and, for those of the Catholic faith, that meant a lot," he said.

Archbishop Porteous declined an invitation to be interviewed about his time as Archbishop of Hobart, and declined to answer written questions.

Dr Daintree wrote that "Archbishop Porteous intends to retire here [in Tasmania]".

An exorcist bishop

Archbishop Porteous has not spoken often about exorcism since he took  his position in Tasmania, but gave insight into the practice while he was an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Sydney.

In a talk he gave at the University of Sydney in August 2012, then-bishop Porteous said:

"I would consider myself very much a learner in this area. I do it not because I think I have any particular gifts, not because I want to do it, but because I think it needs to be done.

"There are many, many people who I have come across who're suffering terribly and they're turning to the church for help."

Archbishop Porteous wrote an 80-page guide for priests titled 'A Manual for Minor Exorcisms'. It was first published in 2010.

The 2012 imitation leather-bound edition of the guide is listed as unavailable on bookseller Amazon's website, although a second-hand copy has been listed for sale for thousands of dollars previously.

Who will be Tasmania's next Catholic bishop?

It could be some time before Archbishop Porteous's replacement is announced. In the meantime, Archbishop Porteous will continue in the role.

A church insider, who did not want to be named, said asking who will succeed Archbishop Porteous is not enough.

"Rather we need to look at a decade of new understandings in leadership, in and beyond faith communities.

"In a world given more and more to autocratic leadership, faith communities have a responsibility to lead beyond the feudal model traditionally exercised by Catholic bishops," he said.

How are bishops appointed?

According to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the process to appoint a bishop includes:

Bishops provide names of priests who they believe are suitable to be a bishop. The names are sent to the Apostolic Nuncio — the Pope's ambassador in the country where the bishop is to be appointed.

The nuncio investigates and consults before preparing a report called a Terna for the Dicastery of Bishops in Rome. The report includes three candidates and a recommendation.

The dicastery can accept the nuncio's recommendation, prefer another candidate, or ask for a new Terna to be prepared.

When the dicastery agrees on a recommendation, the head presents that recommendation to the Pope. The Pope can accept the recommendation, choose another candidate, ask for another Terna, or name his own candidate.

The nuncio is then advised of the outcome.

The priest nominated to become a bishop can decline, but must have a "compelling reason" to do so.

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