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BOSTON (WHDH) - Cardinal Seán O’Malley on Monday formally introduced Bishop Richard Henning as his successor as the archbishop of Boston, praising Henning as a “joyful pastor who seeks to serve Christ and his people.”
O’Malley and Henning spoke from the archdiocese’s Pastoral Center in Braintree after Pope Francis named Henning as Boston’s next archbishop.
Henning, 59, will be the 10th bishop and seventh archbishop of Boston. Currently the bishop of the Diocese of Providence, he is set to be installed in Boston on Oct. 31.
“The arrival of a new archbishop is always a time of renewal and hope,” O’Malley said. “To the people of the archdiocese, Bishop Henning brings the heart of a pastor in his new role.”
O’Malley has served in Boston since 2003. Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the role of cardinal in 2006.
O’Malley is now set to retire five years after he reached the typical retirement age for Catholic officials of 75. Though he filed his resignation in 2019, O’Malley remained in his role in recent years at the request of Pope Francis.
“My 20 years in Boston have been challenging and wonderful years in many respects,” O’Malley said.
“Despite all the challenges that we have, I am filled with hope,” he continued.
O’Malley served as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands beginning in 1984. He eventually became bishop of Fall River in 1992, serving in that role for 10 years.
O’Malley moved to Palm Beach, Fla. to serve as bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach in 2002 but returned to Massachusetts less than a year later after the child sexual abuse scandal that led to the resignation of former Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law.
O’Malley marked his 40th anniversary as a bishop on Friday and reflected on his decades of service Monday.
“In 40 years, there’s been a lot of changes, not just in the church, but in the world,” he said. “We have many, many challenges today that we didn’t have in the past.”
O’Malley noted the “terrible scourge of sexual abuse” and acknowledged ongoing challenges for the Catholic church.
“But the opportunity is very great,” he said.
O’Malley is a top US ally of Pope Francis and was among the cardinals who voted to elect him at the 2013 Papal Conclave at the Vatican.
O’Malley said he now plans to split his time between Boston and Washington DC while he works with the immigrant population.
For the time being, he will also continue to serve as president of the Pope’s Commission for the Protection of Minors, which formed after the Catholic church’s child sexual abuse scandals.
“I don’t think I’ll be bored. I’m not going to take up golf,” he said. “But I will try and stay out of the new archbishop’s way but be available to him if he needs anything.”
While O’Malley gets set to step aside, Henning is preparing to arrive in Boston after a short stint as bishop in Providence that only started in 2022 when Pope Francis appointed him as the coadjutor bishop of Providence. Henning became the bishop of the Diocese of Providence in May of last year after Bishop Thomas Tobin resigned.
Before Providence, Henning spent time as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York.
Henning was serving in Rockville Centre when the diocese declared bankruptcy in 2020 amid a series of child sexual abuse lawsuits. On Monday he said he was not involved in the day-to-day process of the bankruptcy but said he agreed with the decision to declare bankruptcy.
Henning also said he was surprised by the news that he would be moving to Boston. He said he first thought of people in Rhode Island who welcomed him as their new bishop.
“They have been so good to me for a year,” he said.
Henning continued, though, saying he is “a man under authority” and saying he is excited to begin his work in Boston.
“I’m humbled by the size and the history of this archdiocese and I’m very well aware that I have a lot to learn,” he said.
Henning, who is fluent in Spanish, said he is learning Portuguese. He said his first job in Boston will involve listening to members of the community.
“We’re blessed with a very vibrant Catholic community,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley said he is conscious of Boston’s large concentration of young people.
“This presents a great challenge, but also a great opportunity for the Catholic community,” he said.
As the church seeks to attract new members, O’Malley pointed to 11 new priests who were ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in the past year.
Himself discussing challenges facing the church, Henning said he thinks “the wider culture in which we live has also, in some sense, lost its way.”
“I think the church has something to offer the wider culture in its upheaval, as well,” he said.
Henning acknowledged some people may have left the Catholic church because of the abuse scandals that hit Boston, Rockville Centre, and many other communities.
“If there are Catholics who are scandalized,” he said. “I understand why they’re scandalized. It is scandalous.”
He said the scandals did not cause him to lose his faith, though. And he urged others to not lose their faith.
“God has not failed you and God is still with you,” he said.
Dr. Ann Hagan Webb, leader of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said Monday she hopes the change in leadership brings further progress in regards to uncovering sexual abuse within the church.
“The first and foremost step is put out another list of credibly accused priests. That list helps people come forward. It helps people heal because they feel believed,” she said.
The Archdiocese of Boston currently counts more than 1.8 million Catholics in its membership, making it one of the largest Catholic communities.
Now the archbishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Boston, Henning’s installation as archbishop will take place at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Before facing the cameras in Braintree, O’Malley and Henning on Monday celebrated a mass together.
Parishioners later spoke with 7NEWS, with one man saying he was surprised to learn about the new shift in leadership.
“It was a shock to me to walk into this today,” said parishioner Russ Blake Jr.
“He must be a wonderful man,” said parishioner Patty Mochen. “It’s a big job.”
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