Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Sean O’Malley as archbishop of Boston and appointed Bishop Richard Henning of Providence, Rhode Island, as his successor. Cardinal O’Malley, who also served as the head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, will continue in that role until a new leader is named.
Cardinal O’Malley was appointed by St. John Paul II in 2003 to lead the Boston archdiocese during the clergy sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church. His predecessor, Cardinal Bernard Law, resigned amid revelations of widespread abuse and cover-ups within the church.
At 80 years old, Cardinal O’Malley is five years past the typical retirement age for bishops. Pope Francis has shown great respect for him, appointing him as a founding member of the C9, a group of core cardinal advisers. In addition to advising on child protection issues, Cardinal O’Malley played a key role in the reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.
