Source: Pope Francis to name new archbishop of Boston, replacing Cardinal Sean O'Malley
BOSTON - Pope Francis is set to name Providence Bishop Richard Henning as the Archbishop of Boston, replacing Cardinal Sean O'Malley, a source familiar with the pope's plans confirmed to WBZ-TV.
Oversaw Archdiocese in wake of scandal
O'Malley, 80, has been Archbishop of Boston since 2003, when he succeeded Cardinal Bernard Law, who had resigned in the wake of the church sex abuse scandal.
O'Malley spoke up for accountability in the wake of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick being defrocked in 2019 after the Vatican found him guilty of sex abuse. "Leadership in the church must enforce accountability for cardinals and bishops…if we hope to have the opportunity to engage the laity in the work of tangible change in the church," O'Malley said in a statement at the time.
The cardinal also apologized in 2018 after revealing a secretary never handed him a letter in 2015 detailing allegations of misconduct against McCarrick. O'Malley released a statement at the time saying, "I understand that not everyone will accept this answer given the way the Church has eroded the trust of our people. My hope is that we can repair the trust and faith of all Catholics."
An Ohio native, O'Malley was named the Bishop of Fall River in 1992 before becoming Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida in 2002. Less than a year later, he became Archbishop of Boston. He was made a cardinal by then-Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.
Who is Richard Henning?
Bishop Richard Henning, 59, grew up in New York and has been a bishop since 2018. Pope Francis appointed him Coadjutor Bishop of Providence in November 2022. In May 2023, he succeeded Thomas Tobin as the Bishop of Providence.