New job for Catholic Weekly columnist

Sydney
7 April 2002

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New job for Catholic Weekly columnist

Fr Brian Lucas

Fr Brian Lucas, Sydney Archdiocesan secretary and spokesman and Catholic Weekly columnist, has been appointed general secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference.

Fr Lucas, 49, succeeds Fr Brian Finnigan, who has held the position since 1998.

Fr Finnigan was installed last week as an auxiliary bishop of Brisbane.

The conference president, Archbishop Francis Carroll, is "delighted" Fr Lucas has accepted the appointment.

"His qualifications and years of experience bring significant skills to the position," he said. "We are grateful for Archbishop Pell's co-operation and generosity in making Fr Lucas available."

Fr Lucas is in Rome on a study and research program on pastoral communication, after being awarded a 2002 Churchill Fellowship. He will return to take up his new position in August. Until then Bishop Finnigan will hold the position from Brisbane.

Fr Lucas graduated from Sydney University in 1974 as a Bachelor of Laws and was admitted as a solicitor the same year. He completed a Masters in Law in 1978; in 1980 he achieved a double ambition - he was admitted to practise as a barrister and ordained a priest.

Fr Lucas has since completed a Bachelor of Theology and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology.

He is a prolific writer and has published many articles in secular law journals on issues as varied as evidence, monopolisation and shopping centre developers, child advocacy and legal representation, and abortion.

His contributions to religious journals have canvassed diverse areas such as the media and the Church, taxation reform, law reform, fundamentalism and ethics. He has published two books, co-authored two others and contributed to another.

Fr Lucas has been archdiocesan secretary since 1990, spokesman since 1985 and a columnist for The Catholic Weekly since 1984.