Cardinal Sean O’Malley retires and Pope Francis names new Archbishop of Boston

Pope Francis has named the until now Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island (United States), Bishop Richard Henning, as the new Archbishop of Boston, following the retirement of Cardinal Sean O’Malley at the age of 80.

The Vatican announced in a statement on Monday, August 5, that the Holy Father had accepted the resignation of Cardinal O’Malley, who has served in the archdiocese for more than 20 years.

At 80 years old, Cardinal O’Malley has surpassed by five years the age at which prelates normally present their resignation from the Holy See; The archbishop originally submitted his resignation in 2019, but he remained in office at the pope’s request.

A press release from the Diocese of Providence reported that both prelates concelebrated a Mass in Boston on Monday morning and that Cardinal O’Malley was to introduce Bishop Henning at a press conference at the diocesan pastoral center later in the morning. .

Cardinal O’Malley has been Archbishop of Boston since 2003, appointed by Pope Saint John Paul II. With nearly 2 million Catholics, the archdiocese is one of the most prominent seats of the Catholic Church in the United States.

A notable leader in the fight against clerical sexual abuse in the Church, Cardinal O’Malley has headed the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors as its first president since 2014. He has also been a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and He is part of the Council of Cardinals or C9, which advises Pope Francis. He participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis; At 80 years old, he is no longer eligible to participate in future conclaves.

Mons. Richard Henning

Bishop Richard Henning, born on October 17, 1964 in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York (United States), studied history at St. John’s University in Queens before preparing for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, now closed. He was ordained a priest in Rockville Center on May 30, 1992.

Before becoming bishop, Henning served in various roles in the Archdiocese of New York, including parochial vicar of St. Peter of Alcántara in Port Washington, New York, and associate professor of Sacred Scripture at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, as well as rector of the seminar.

He also served as vicar for clergy and as vicar for parish evangelization and pastoral planning in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, in addition to being diocesan episcopal vicar of the central vicariate.

He was consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Center on July 24, 2018, and subsequently appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Providence on November 23, 2022.

Following the retirement of the former Bishop of Providence, Bishop Thomas Tobin, Bishop Henning became the ninth Bishop of Providence on May 1, 2023.

The prelate has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Theology from the Catholic University of America, as well as a doctorate in that field from the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.