Catholic Diocese of the Australian Defence Force The Roman Catholic Diocese of the Australian Defence Force ( also referred to as the Australian Catholic Defence Diocese or the Military Ordinariate of Australia ) is a Latin Rite suffragan Military Ordinariate , immediately subject to the Holy See , established in 1969 , and managed for administrative purposes by the Archdiocese of Sydney . Its Ordinary ( bishop ) and his chaplains serve the members of the Australian Defence Force ( ADF ) and their families in all three Servicesthe Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) , the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) regardless of location . History . Australian Catholic chaplaincy have been provided for Australians serving in the military since the 1901 contribution of forces to fight in the Boxer Rebellion . However , it was not until 1912 that a bishop , the then Archbishop of Melbourne , the Most Reverend Thomas Joseph Carr , was delegated by the Catholic bishops of Australia as the bishop of the Australian Armed Forces . From 1912 until 1969 , Australian Catholic armed servicemen and women were in the care of a bishop delegated to them who was also a bishop elsewhere . In 1969 , Pope Paul VI created the Military Vicariate of Australia , and in 1984 Pope John Paul II elevated the Vicariate to an Ordinariate with its own bishop . The Diocese was officially established under the Apostolic Constitution Spirituali Militum Curae on 21 July 1986 and given final approval in 1988 . Structure . Although the headquarters of the diocese is located in Campbell , Australian Capital Territory , the diocese is attached to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney , while being immediately subject to the Holy See . Unlike conventional dioceses , which are restricted to a geographical area , the Catholic Diocese of the ADF covers all of Australia and its 30 Defence bases , and any Australian military facilities or units overseas or off - shore . Bishop . The Catholic Bishop of the ADF is a member of the ADF ' s Religious Advisory Committee to the Services ( RACS ) , and holds status equivalent to a two - star officer ( NATO rank code OF - 7 ) . RACS advises the Federal Minister of Defence , the Chief of the Defence Force and the three Chiefs of the Services on matters pertaining to religion , worship , and chaplaincy . The Catholic bishop is the head of the Catholic denomination recognised in the Defence Instructions ( General ) of the ADF . The following individuals have been elected as Bishop of the Armed Services : Principal chaplains . Each service branch of the ADF has three Principal Chaplains ; one each to represent Catholicism , Anglicanism and Protestantism . They are accorded the rank relevant to the Division Five chaplain for each branch . Principal Chaplains oversee the chaplains of their Service — managing matters such as appointment , training , and assignment of chaplains within their branch — and are the primary religious advisors to the Chief of each branch . Catholic priests who are promoted to Principal Chaplains of the ADF are traditionally nominated for and receive the title " Monsignor " from the Pope . The current Catholic Principal Chaplains of the ADF are : Monsignor Brian Rayner OAM , RANR ( Navy ) ; Monsignor Greg Flynn ( Army ) and Monsignor Peter O ' Keefe AM . As of 2011 , all of the Catholic Principal Chaplains happen to be part - time and members of the Reserves of their respective Service , however this is not always the case and in the past and in the furture they can be full - time Principal Chaplains . The Catholic Principal Chaplains are the chief means by which the Catholic Military Bishop recruits , posts and deploys his Catholic chaplains in the ADF within the structures of the three Services . Chaplains . Chaplains are charged with the responsibility to care for the religious , spiritual and pastoral ( welfare ) needs of Defence members and their families . For Catholic Chaplains , this includes providing the sacraments , especially to Defence members isolated from civilian Catholic churches / parishes or on war operations . Chaplains , especially those appointed to training establishments , conduct classes on ethics , morals , values and character development with their military units . Chaplains in the Navy , Army and Air Force undergo the same training as other ADF officers . With only a few exceptions , Catholic - ordained chaplains ( priests and deacons ) are " on loan " to the Defence Diocese from a ' civilian ' diocese for an agreed period of time , which may or may not be renewed . The Bishop of the Military relies on the other Australian bishops for the supply of enough clergy to meet the chaplaincy needs of Catholics in the ADF . It is possible for a priest or deacon to be ordained solely into ( incardinated ) the Defence Diocese / Military Ordinariate and thus he fully belongs to the Defence Diocese until his death . The Archdiocese of Melbourne currently supplies more full - time priests than any other diocese to the Australian Defence Diocese . ADF Chaplains are generally addressed by their first name by officers of superior rank or as " Sir " by those of lower ranks , however Catholic Chaplains are often referred to as " Father " or as " Padre " by soldiers , sailors , and RAAF personnel irrespective of their rank . Divisions . Chaplains in the ADF are organised into five divisions : Current chaplains . As of 2009 , there are 13 full - time priests , three full - time married deacons and two full - time married non - ordained pastoral associates ( lay people ) serving as commissioned chaplains ( officer rank ) in the ADF . There are 25 , 614 Roman Catholics in the ADF out of a total of 102 , 764 ( full - time and reservists ) . Although Catholics constitute the largest religious group in the ADF , the diocese struggles to recruit enough chaplains to serve the Catholic defence population . Current ADF Full - time chaplains , as of 2011 , are : There are a small number of Reserve Defence Force chaplains who are mostly full - time parish priests in civilian parishes or married deacons ministering full - time in their dioceses . Chapels . The Catholic Church has many chapels located on Defence establishments primarily but not exclusively for the use of Catholic Defence personnel . Some chapels on Defence bases are ' non - denominational ' and are shared with other Christian denominations .