Melbourne Bishop Emeritus Peter Elliott died peacefully yesterday, aged 81, the Melbourne Archdiocese announced.
Born in Melbourne on October 1, 1943, Peter John Elliott was the elder son of the Anglican Reverend Leslie Llewellyn Elliott and Irene Ann (June) Rooke.
After early education in government schools, he attended Melbourne Grammar School (1956–1961) and went on to earn a Master of Arts in History from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Oxford, where he was received into the Catholic Church.
Returning home in 1969, he entered Corpus Christi College, Glen Waverley, to prepare for priestly ministry. He was ordained to the priesthood on February 19,1973, by Lawrence Cardinal Shehan, Archbishop of Baltimore and Papal Legate, during the Fortieth International Eucharistic Congress held in Melbourne.
On April 30, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Titular Bishop of Manaccenser and Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, responsible for the Southern Region of the Archdiocese. He was consecrated Bishop on June 15, 2007.
Bishop Elliott retired from active ministry in 2018 but continued to write, teach, and support the Church he loved so deeply. He recently entered Justin Villa Aged Residential Care in Balwyn.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli paid tribute to Bishop Eliott’s decades of faithful service.
“Bishop Peter was a pastor, teacher, and friend whose love for Christ and his Church shaped every aspect of his ministry,” Archbishop Comensoli said.
“He brought to the Archdiocese a rare combination of intellectual depth, liturgical beauty, and pastoral warmth. His life was marked by a profound sense of the sacred and a tireless commitment to the Gospel.
“In the words of the Apostle, he fought the good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith. Now we commend him to the mercy of God, confident in the Lord’s promise: Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Master (Mt 25:23).”
Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.
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Vale Bishop Peter Elliott (Melbourne Archdiocese)
