Max Leroy Davis

{{Short description|Australian Catholic bishop (b. 1945)}}

{{use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = bishop

| honorific-prefix = The Most Reverend

| name = Max Davis

| honorific-suffix = AM

| bishop_of = Bishop emeritus of the Australian Defence Force

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| title =

| image = Coat of arms of Max Leroy Davis.svg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| church =

| archdiocese =

| province =

| metropolis =

| diocese =

| see = Military Ordinariate of Australia

| elected =

| appointed =

| term =

| term_start = 22 August 2003

| quashed =

| term_end = 24 May 2021

| predecessor = Geoffrey Mayne

| opposed =

| successor =

| other_post =

| ordination = 31 October 1971

| ordained_by =

| consecration = 22 August 2003

| consecrated_by = Geoffrey Mayne

| cardinal =

| created_cardinal_by =

| rank =

| birth_name = Maxwell Leroy Davis

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1945|08|16}}

| birth_place = Townsville, Queensland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| nationality = Australian

| religion = Catholic

| residence =

| parents =

| spouse =

| children =

| occupation =

| profession =

| previous_post =

| education =

| alma_mater =

| motto =

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| coat_of_arms =

| coat_of_arms_alt =

| other =

}}

Maxwell Leroy Davis {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM|DD}} (born 16 August 1945) is a retired Catholic bishop who served as the bishop of the Catholic Military Ordinariate of Australia.

Davis grew up in Perth. In his late teens, he served in the Royal Australian Navy in 1962–1964, later returning to Western Australia. Davis worked as a teacher at Saint Benedict's College in New Norcia in the late 1960s. He was ordained in 1971. He worked as a chaplain in the Army reserves and as a priest in the Archdiocese of Perth.{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/03/jul/27/04.html |title=From sailor to bishop |work=The Catholic Weekly |accessdate=30 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515111017/http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/03/jul/27/04.html |archive-date=15 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}

Davis was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1998 for service to the navy, particularly as Director General of Chaplaincy-Navy.{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/878535 |title=DAVIS, Max Leroy |publisher=Government of Australia |work=It's an Honour |accessdate=30 June 2014 }}

On 16 July 2003, Davis was appointed bishop of the Australian Military Ordinariate. He was consecrated bishop on 22 August 2003 by Bishop Geoffrey Mayne with Archbishop Francis Patrick Carroll of Canberra and Goulburn and Archbishop Francesco Canalini, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia as co-consecratirs.[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bdavis.html Catholic-Hierarchy website Accessed 17 December 2020]

In June 2014, Western Australian police charged Davis with having indecently assaulted a 13-year-old boy in 1969, before he had been ordained. Davis denied the charges and stood aside from his roles of office while the charges were heard.{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/national/catholic-churchs-military-diocese-head-bishop-max-davis-charged-with-child-sex/story-fncynjr2-1226971727494 |title=Catholic Church's military diocese head bishop Max Davis charged with child sex |publisher=News Limited |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=11 June 2016}} On 7 August 2015, he pleaded not guilty, and a six-day trial was set down to start on 6 February 2016 in the District Court of Western Australia.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-07/bishop-to-face-trial-on-child-sex-charges-in-wa/6680538 |title=Army bishop to face trial on child sex charges in WA |author=Joanna Menagh |website=ABC News|date=7 August 2015 |accessdate=4 October 2015}} The six counts related to the period between December 1968 and October 1972 when Davis was dorm master at St Benedict's College at New Norcia. The Defence case accepted that the boys were abused, but denied that Davis was the culprit, identifying other (now dead) possible offenders.{{cite news |url=http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/bishops-new-norcia-child-sex-allegations-a-mistake-court-hears-20160208-gmotu6.html |title= Bishop's New Norcia child sex allegations a 'mistake', court hears |date=8 February 2016 |website=WA Today |publisher=Fairfax Media |accessdate=11 February 2016}} He was acquitted of all charges on 15 February 2016. He returned to public ministry in December 2017.{{cite news |url=http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-bishop-max-leroy-davis-acquitted-of-child-sex-abuse-20160215-gmv0bj.html |title=WA bishop Max Leroy Davis acquitted of child sex abuse |work=WAtoday.com.au |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=16 February 2016 |accessdate=19 February 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://military.catholic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/NEWSLETTER-28.pdf |title=I'll be home for Christmas |page=2|work=Serving faithfully |publisher=Catholic Diocese of the Australian Defence Force |date=December 2017 |issue=28 |accessdate=2 October 2018}}

Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 24 May 2021.{{cite press release | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/05/24/0328/00722.html | publisher = Holy See Press Office | date = 24 May 2021 | access-date = 24 May 2021 | language = it | title = Rinunce e nomine, 24.05.2021 }}