VATICAN CITY. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Sean O’Malley on Monday, who has served as the archbishop of Boston. At the age of 80, O’Malley, a key figure in addressing clergy sexual abuse, steps down from one of the most influential Catholic archdioceses in the United States. In his place, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Richard Henning of Providence, Rhode Island, to lead the archdiocese.
The Vatican announcement did not address O’Malley’s other significant role as the pope’s principal adviser on combating clergy sexual abuse, where he heads the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It is expected that O’Malley will continue in this position until a successor is appointed.
Cardinal O’Malley was appointed to the Boston archdiocese by St. John Paul II in 2003, during the height of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that was brought to light by an investigation from the Boston Globe. This scandal led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law in December 2002.
At 80, O’Malley is five years past the typical retirement age for bishops. His successor, Richard Henning, 59, has served as the bishop of Providence since last year. Pope Francis has expressed high regard for O’Malley, selecting him as a founding member of his core advisory group, known as the C9. In this role, O’Malley, a Franciscan friar, has been instrumental in advising the pope on child protection and contributing to the reform of the Vatican’s bureaucracy.
O’Malley’s relationship with Pope Francis has not been without tension. In 2018, he issued a strong rebuke after the pope dismissed abuse claims made by Chilean survivors. This response prompted Pope Francis to apologize and initiate an investigation into the Chilean abuse scandal.
More recently, O’Malley’s commission identified “serious problems” in the handling of the case of Rev. Marko Rupnik, an ex-Jesuit artist. This led Pope Francis to order a reopening of the case.
As Cardinal O’Malley retires from his role as archbishop, his contributions to the Church’s efforts to address sexual abuse and reform its practices remain significant.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
