Former Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane John Bathersby passed away yesterday at the age of 83.
His death at Wesley Hospital in Auchenflower has been attributed to health complications following a recent stroke.
Archbishop Bathersby had been a priest for 58 years, and was appointed to lead the Brisbane church in 1991, and did so until his retirement in 2011.
His successor, current Archbishop Mark Coleridge stated, “John was a rare human being, with a heart as big as his mind and soul and his sense of humour...”.
A funeral is being planned at the Cathedral of St Stephen.