Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne, Australia has made a surprise
announcement that he will close down the Australian branch of the John
Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family.In a letter to students and staff, the archbishop said that the Institute in Melbourne will continue operation until 2018, to fulfill commitments to current students, before closing.
He said that the move was made because of a low number of students—although the Catholic Weekly reports that “student numbers had increased in recent years.”
The John Paul II Institute in Melbourne was established in 2001 as an affiliate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute.
Archbishop Hart made his announcement on the same day that Pope Francis spoke at the Institute in Rome, which he has placed under new leadership.