Dr. Paul Collins

Paul Collins is an historian, broadcaster and writer. A Catholic priest for thirty-three years, he resigned from the active ministry in March 2001 following a dispute with the Vatican over his book 'Papal Power' (1997). He remains a committed Catholic.

With many years of experience writing about and commenting in media on Catholicism, the papacy and the church in Australia, the US and the Western world, Paul is the author of eighteen books. The most recent is 'Beyond Priests. The Future of Ministry in the Catholic Church' (Sheed and Ward, 2025). This book focuses on future of the Catholic priesthood, outlining a new vision of ministry that includes both women and men in leadership roles. He also has a strong interest in ethics, environmental and world population issues.

Since 1988 Paul has worked in varying capacities in TV and radio with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He has also acted as a commentator on Catholic issues on SBS television and radio, the BBC, National Public Radio in the US, New Zealand TV, Sky TV News, Al-Jazeera, as well as many commercial TV and radio stations across Australia. He has written for most of Australia’s leading newspapers, magazines and informed blogs, as well as for the London Tablet, the National Catholic Reporter in the US and for several magazines in Germany, Austria and Italy.

Long experience in media has taught him how to write clearly, succinctly and with an ever-present sense of humour. With wide experience in tertiary and adult education, he has taught church history and theology in Australia, the US and Pacific countries and worked as a parish priest in Sydney, Canberra, Launceston and Hobart. This parish experience has kept him in contact with ordinary life and people.