New Bishop of Cairns Appointed

Pope Francis has this evening appointed the Very Reverend Joe Caddy VG, a priest of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, as the 8th Bishop of Cairns.

Diocesan Administrator Fr Kerry Crowley has welcomed the appointment of the Very Reverend Joe Caddy AM VG as the 8th Bishop of Cairns.

“I welcome Bishop Elect, Joe Caddy. His appointment is timely as we have waited and prayed for a ‘prayerful & pastoral Bishop’. Fr Joe’s background has been in grassroots ministry. He comes well-placed to grow the seeds already planted in the Cairns Diocese”.

Fr Caddy was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Melbourne in 1990 is currently the Vicar-General of the archdiocese.

“I am certain the people, religious, priests and agencies of the diocese will wholeheartedly welcome Bishop-elect Caddy,” Fr Crowley said.

“He brings with him a wealth of experience in pastoral care and is a passionate advocate for social justice, and I am sure will be a great asset for the diocese.”

Fr Caddy was born and raised in Melbourne. He holds a Bachelor of Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity and degrees in Social Sciences from the Gregorian University in Rome, where he studied Catholic social teaching, social ethics and economics.

He served as CEO of CatholicCare (Greater Melbourne, Geelong and Gippsland) from 2004 to 2017, and was engaged in Victorian and national policy and program development in the areas of homelessness, juvenile justice, refugee and asylum seekers, disaster response, drug and alcohol treatment and local government.

In June 2018, Fr Joe was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division for “significant service to the community through a wide range of social welfare initiatives and policy reforms, the Catholic Church in Australia”.

As Vicar-General in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, he has taken a key role in revitalising the church and building the skills of clergy and lay people in the areas of leadership, pastoral care and administration.

Bishop James Foley retired as Bishop of Cairns in August 2022, having been appointed to the role in July 1992.