Cardinal O’Malley resigns Boston post | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (2025)

BOSTON -- Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Seán O'Malley as archbishop of Boston on Monday and named the bishop of Providence, R.I., Richard Henning, to replace him as leader of one of the most important Catholic archdioceses in the United States.

The Vatican announcement didn't mention O'Malley's other main role as the pope's main adviser on fighting clergy sexual abuse as head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, suggesting he would remain in that capacity until a new commission leader is named.

St. John Paul II had tapped O'Malley to take over in Boston in 2003 at the height of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that had exploded there following an investigation by The Boston Globe newspaper. Revelations of years of abuse and cover-ups by the church led to the downfall of then-Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in in December 2002.

"When I arrived it was a time of great crisis and of great pain because of the terrible scourge of sexual abuse," O'Malley said at a news conference as he reflected on all the changes the church has seen during his 40 years as a bishop. "But despite all the challenges we've had I'm full of hope."

At age 80, O'Malley is five years beyond the normal retirement age for bishops. His 59-year-old successor, Henning, from Rockville Centre, Long Island, has been bishop of Providence since last year.

In terms of clergy abuse, the torch in Boston is being passed from a man whose contemporaries were the accused to one whose peers were the victims.

"When these crimes and sins were committed, I was also a child. I'm grateful to God that I was not affected by it personally, but people in my generation were," Henning said at the news conference. "Those survivors, they deserve a listening heart. In some ways they have as much to proclaim to us about the gospel as we do to them."

O'Malley called the arrival of a new archbishop "a time of renewal and hope" and described Henning as "someone who transmits hope to restless hearts."

The Archdiocese of Boston is the fourth-largest archdiocese in the U.S., serving more than 1.8 million Roman Catholics. It had operating expenses of more than $350 million in fiscal 2023, and its schools serve more than 46,000 students.

O'Malley will be remembered for his advocacy and support for families experiencing homelessness and victims of human trafficking, as well as his leadership in the fight against climate change, Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. "I greatly admire his deep faith and his empathy and compassion for all," Healey said.

Henning said he was "deeply shocked and surprised" that he was chosen.

"I am very well aware that I have a lot to learn," Henning said. "My first job, really, is just to be listener."

Francis has long expressed his esteem for O'Malley and selected him as a founding member of his core cardinal advisers, known as the C9. O'Malley advised Francis not only on child protection issues but also helped design the reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.

O'Malley's relations with Francis haven't always been easy. In 2018, he issued a blistering rebuke after the pope dismissed claims by survivors of Chile's most notorious abuser. O'Malley's harsh tone was a wake-up call for Francis, who eventually apologized after commissioning an investigation into the Chilean scandal.

More recently, O'Malley's commission flagged "serious problems" in the Vatican's handling of allegations against an ex-Jesuit artist, the Rev. Marko Rupnik, prompting Francis to order the case reopened.

In a brief interview, Henning said he plans to continue what he considers O'Malley's successful work.

"Obviously, I have work to do in terms of getting to know survivors here in the archdiocese and understanding the current environment," Henning said. "I do know already that the archdiocese commits itself pretty passionately to the protection of young people in care. I consider that a lifelong passion of my own, so I look forward to understanding and continuing that legacy."

Kevin Mochen, a parishioner who attended Mass at Bethany Chapel in Braintree on Monday, said he expects O'Malley to continue working on behalf of abuse victims. He credited O'Malley with taking over a troubled archdiocese and getting it back on course.

"O'Malley came in and kind of put the diocese back on an even keel. And so that's his legacy I would think," Mochen said.

Information for this article was contributed by David Sharp and Nicole Winfield of The Associated Press.