In 1968 a new diocese, the Diocese of the Northern Territory based in Darwin, was created out of the Diocese of Carpentaria and, in 1996, the remaining part of the Carpentaria diocese merged back into the Diocese of North Queensland. As part of the merger negotiations, an assistant bishop within that diocese was elected to oversee the Torres Strait Region. However, unrest persisted and the islanders campaigned for an independent Torres Strait diocese.[6]
In 1997, some Anglicans in the Torres Strait region of the former diocese were received into the Traditional Anglican Communion (a Continuing Anglican body) and formed themselves into the Church of Torres Strait. In 2010 they petitioned the Vatican for reception as a personal ordinariate in the Catholic Church. In April 2014, this petition (slightly modified, as the original petition was for a separate jurisdiction) was granted by Pope Francis. According to the agreement, the Church of Torres Strait was to become a territory under the jurisdiction of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, but day-to-day authority would remain devolved to a regional vicar.[7] However, with the exception of the parish on Dauan Island (which joined the ordinariate), the Church of Torres Strait subsequently joined the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church instead.[8]