List of ambassadors of Australia to the Holy See explained

Post:Ambassador of Australia to the Holy See
Insignia:Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Department:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Reports To:Minister for Foreign Affairs
Incumbent:Chiara Porro
Residence:Vatican City
Nominator:Prime Minister of Australia
Style:Her Excellency
Appointer:Governor General of Australia
Formation:1973
Inaugural:Lloyd Thomson

The Ambassador of Australia to the Holy See is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Holy See. The first nominee for this position was Dudley McCarthy, appointed in 1973, who was also the ambassador to Spain, but the Vatican refused to accept the nomination on the grounds that McCarthy had been divorced.[1] The appointment was subsequently attached to the office of the Ambassador to the Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey, Ireland, Malta, Sweden and Switzerland. In 2008 Tim Fischer was appointed as the first permanent resident ambassador to the Holy See.[2] In 1986, Sir Peter Lawler had been appointed resident ambassador for four months prior to Pope John Paul II's visit to Australia.[3]

Chiara Porro was appointed ambassador in August 2020.

List of heads of mission

Ordinal Officeholder Title Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
Ambassador of Australia to the Holy SeeThe Hague, Netherlands years[4]
Turkey years[5]
(n/a) John Mitchell KirtleyChargé d'affaires years
Ambassador of Australia to the Holy SeeThe Hague, Netherlands years
() Lloyd Thomson years[6]
Dublin, Ireland years
(n/a) Christopher Stephen KnottChargé d'affaires years
Frank MilneAmbassador of Australia to the Holy See years[7]
Dublin, Ireland[8]
Terence McCarthy years [9]
The Hague, Netherlands years
Dublin, Ireland years [10]
years
years
years
Vatican City years
[11]
years[12] [13]
incumbent [14] [15] [16]

Notes

Lawler was resident ambassador in the Vatican City for four months prior to Pope John Paul II's visit to Australia.

In April 1991 it was announced that Burke had resigned from his post with effect from July 1991 in order to face a royal commission[17] [18] and was eventually jailed. Burke was asked to hand back his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Notes and References

  1. News: Proposed envoy not accepted . The Canberra Times. 15 May 1973 . 2 September 2019 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  2. News: Maiden. Samantha. Kevin Rudd parts the Holy See with Tim Fischer. 10 March 2011. The Australian. 22 July 2008.
  3. News: Oakes. Laurie. Rudd overcome with generous spirit. 10 March 2011. 21 July 2008. Laurie Oakes. https://web.archive.org/web/20120410055850/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/newsroom/oakes/601144/rudd-overcome-with-generous-spirit. 10 April 2012. dead.
  4. News: Envoy to Holy See appointed. 10 March 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 July 1973. 1.
  5. News: Overington. Caroline. Caroline Overington. Politics of the pulpit. 10 March 2011. The Australian. 22 July 2008.
  6. https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1980/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19800626_ambassador-australia_en.html Address of John Paul II to Lloyd Thomson, Ambassador of Australia accredited to the Holy See
  7. https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1987/march/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19870328_ambassador-australia_en.html Address of the Holy Father John Paul II to H.E. Mr Francis Sommerville Milne, Ambassador of Australia to the Holy See
  8. News: Ramsey. Alan. A role in the fall of a Labor mate conveniently omitted from the eulogies. 10 March 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 July 2005.
  9. https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1991/december/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19911202_ambasciatore-australia_en.html Address of His Holiness John Paul II to H.E. Mr Terence Barry McCarthy, the new Ambassador of Australia to the Holy See
  10. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador To Ireland. Australian Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205321/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1998/fa118b_98.html. 3 March 2016. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. 29 August 1998.
  11. News: DFAT scrambles to bring home Holy See diplomat. The Australian. News Corp Australia. 18 January 2016. Rick. Wallace.
  12. Ambassador to the Holy See. https://web.archive.org/web/20160506100525/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2016/jb_mr_160505.aspx. 6 May 2016. 5 May 2016. Julie. Bishop. Julie Bishop. Australian Government.
  13. News: Career diplomat to succeed John McCarthy as Australian ambassador to Holy See. Sharyn. McCowen. 10 May 2016. The Catholic Weekly. https://web.archive.org/web/20160709234041/https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/career-diplomat-to-succeed-john-mccarthy-as-australian-ambassador-to-holy-see/. 9 July 2016.
  14. Payne, Marise . Marise Payne . 2020-09-04 . Ambassador to Holy See . 2021-03-07 . Minister for Foreign Affairs . . dmy-all .
  15. News: Bowling. Mark. 28 August 2020. Meet the new Australian ambassador to the Holy See, Chiara Porro. The Catholic Leader.
  16. Web site: New Australian Ambassador to the Holy See appointed . . 24 August 2020 . 5 December 2022 .
  17. Ambassador Burke. Gareth. Evans. Australian Government. 12 April 1991.
  18. Mr Brian Burke . Gareth. Evans. Australian Government. 29 April 1991.

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