Most Rev Geoffrey James Robinson DD

Auxiliary Bishop 1984-2004

Geoff Robinson was born on 10 August 1937 in Richmond, the son of Alexander and Kathleen Robinson. He was educated at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill and Marist Brothers, Hunters Hill. He studied at St Columba’s College, Springwood and Urbaniana University, Rome (DCL), and was ordained to the Priesthood on 21 December 1960. Fr Robinson served as an assistant priest in the parishes of Croydon, Lindfield and Northbridge, and on the staff of the Catholic Institute of Sydney as a lecturer in Canon Law from 1967-1983. He also served on the Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal and was secretary (1969-1976) and President (1976-1983) of the Canon Law Society. He was Consecrated Titular Bishop of Rusuca and Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop of Sydney on 8 March 1984 at St Mary’s Cathedral. He published Marriage, Divorce & Nullity: A Guide to the Annulment Process in the Catholic Church in 1984. He enjoys listening to classical music.

By taking a proactive role in devising processes within the Church for the prevention of sexual abuse, he has made an enormous contribution world-wide towards raising the consciousness of Church leaders to their responsibilities in this very difficult and sensitive area, and to developing appropriate and compassionate pastoral responses to those who have been hurt. He is the foundation chair of Encompass Australasia, a psychosexual programme established in 1997 jointly by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes for Church personnel who were guilty of offences against children or of adult boundary violations. He has overseen the development of Encompass to provide specialist psychological services for people in helping professions struggling with psychological issues or wanting to enhance their ability to live life with vitality.

As chair of the Sydney Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Board, a position he has held since 1986, Bishop Robinson has taken a vitally active interest in the ongoing education of teachers in Catholic Schools, particularly in the field of Sacred Scripture. Consciously setting out to promote among teachers a level of Biblical literacy equal to their literacy in other areas of their lives, he presented a series of lectures on St Mark’s Gospel. These were so well received that he expanded on them and made them accessible to a wider audience through a book called: A Change of Mind and Heart: The Good News According to Mark. The book has been acclaimed for its fresh and imaginative approach to the study of this Gospel. A later book, Travels in Sacred Places published in 1997 explores questions about religious experiences in our lives that are often taken for granted, such as: What sort of God do we believe in? What sense are we to make of good and evil? How do we respond to God in our day-to-day lives?

He has served for many years as the Chairman of the Catholic Education Commission, NSW and has worked extensively in the fields of Catholic Education, Ecumenism, Canon Law and professional standards in ministry. He was instrumental in organising the highly acclaimed Confirmation 2000 and Confirmation 2005 events. In March 2004, the Australian Catholic University awarded him with an honorary Doctor of the University in recognition of his work in the Towards Healing process.

The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, accepted Bishop Robinson's retirement on 15 July 2004, due to ill-health.

Media Release announcing his retirement (Catholic Communications PDF)

Speech at the ACU Graduation Ceremony Canberra, 26 March 2004 [PDF]

[External link: Catalyst for Renewal] Conscience – Doing the right thing and taking responsibility for it

The Previous Archbishops of the Archdiocese of Sydney

• John Polding OSB, Vicar Apostolic of New Holland 1834-1842; Archbishop of Sydney 1842-1877.
• Roger Bede Vaughan OSB, 1877-1883.
• Patrick Francis Cardinal Moran, 1884-1911.
• Michael Kelly, 1911-1940.
• Norman Thomas Cardinal Gilroy, 1940-1971. Co-adjutor Bishop 1937-1940; Archbishop 1940-46; Cardinal 1946-1971.
• James Darcy Cardinal Freeman, 1971-1983. Auxiliary Bishop Sydney 1957-1969. Bishop Armidale 1969-1971.
• Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy AC, 1983-2001.

The Predecessor Auxiliary and Co-adjutor Archbishops
of the Archdiocese of Sydney

1. Charles Henry Davis OSB, 1848-1854. Also Titular Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle.
2. Joseph Higgins, 1889. (Appointed Bishop of Rockhampton 1889).
3. Michael Sheehan, Co-adjutor Archbishop 1922-1937.
4. Eris Norman Michael O'Brien, 1948-1953. (Appointed Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn 1953.)
5. Patrick Francis Lyons, 1950-1956. (Appointed Co-adjutor Bishop Sale 1956. Bishop 1957-1967.)
6. James Patrick Carroll, 1954-1965. Retired 1984. Died 1995.
7. James Darcy Cardinal Freeman, 1957-1969
8. Thomas William Muldoon, 1960-1986.
9. Edward Francis Kelly MSC, 1969-1975. (Appointed Bishop of Toowoomba 1975.)
10. Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy AC, 1973-1978. (Appointed Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn, 1978-1983.)
11. Patrick Laurence Murphy, 1977-1986. (Appointed Bishop of Broken Bay 1986. Retired)
12. Bede Vincent Heather, 1979-1986. (Appointed Bishop of Parramatta 1986. Retired)
13. John Edward Heaps, 1981-1992. Retired 1992. Died 2004.
14. Peter William Ingham, 1993-2001. (Appointed Bishop of Wollongong 2001.)
15. Geoffrey James Robinson, 1984-2004. Retired.
16. David Cremin, 1974-2005. Retired.

See also:

• Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
• Current Auxiliary Bishops of Sydney
  • Bishop Julian Porteous
  • Bishop Anthony Fisher OP
• Significant Early Pioneers in the Church in Sydney