PM must secure future of Catholic schools: Bishop Peter Comensoli

One of Australia’s most senior Catholics has warned that the future of vulnerable schools must be secured.

Incoming Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli. Picture: Aaron Francis.

One of Australia’s most senior Cath­olics believes Malcolm Turnbull does not want church schools to close but has warned the future of vulnerable campuses needs to be secured.

Bishop Peter Comensoli, 54, will tonight be installed as the ninth archbishop of Melbourne in a reign the church hopes will be a peaceful and productive step forward after decades of controversy for the faith.

Bishop Comensoli, the son of a Wollongong steelworker and teacher, will be instrumental in helping the faith steer its way through the debate on school funding and the fallout from the child-sex abuse controversy.

A former ANZ bank teller, Bishop Comensoli was one of a few senior Catholics to meet the Prime Minister recently to discuss the schools funding debacle that has undermined the government.

Formerly in charge of the NSW diocese of Broken Bay, Bishop Comensoli said yesterday the talks had been positive, but a failure to resolve the issues facing church schools would linger, leading to potential closures.

“I don’t think there is any ­secret that he is aware that if things continue as they are, we will need to make decisions in due course around schools that are ­viable and not viable, and which might need be closed. (I am) not naming any schools … but if the process continues on the current trajectory, that has to be grappled with.

“(Mr Turnbull) is aware of that, and clearly we don’t want to see that happen,’’ he said. “I’m fairly confident … he doesn’t want to see that happen.’’

Bishop Comensoli said the socio-economic status measure being used by Education Minister Simon Birmingham had caused heartburn in NSW, where fees had climbed and doubt was raised about the future of some schools in his old domain.

“We had to raise fees quite substantially in a number of these schools,’’ he said.

“It had an immediate, detrimental impact on enrolments.’’

Bishop Comensoli arrived in Melbourne this week, conceding that he had limited knowledge of one of the church’s most powerful and wealthy archdioceses.

His predecessors include the now retired Denis Hart, Cardinal George Pell and Sir Frank Little.

Bishop Comensoli is a doctor of philosophy who grew up surfing and playing rugby league and hockey and believes daily issues feed into the bigger questions about “how we live well our lives’’.

He will be installed tonight at St Patrick’s Cathedral.