Bishop Richard Henning will take over as the new leader of the Archdiocese of Boston, Pope Francis announced Monday.
“As I look forward now to this new ministry in the Bay State, I would like to offer greetings to the clergy, religious and faithful of Boston and to all men and women of goodwill,” said Henning at a press event Monday morning. “I’m humbled by the size and the history of this Archdiocese, and I am very well aware I have a lot to learn, and so I’ll be looking for, eager for your witness of faith and to learn your wisdom.”
Henning, 59, now leads the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island. The Archbishop-elect will replace Cardinal Sean O’Malley, 80, the long-time head of the Catholic church in Boston.
The Vatican released the news in a memo from Pope Francis early Monday, and the archdiocese confirmed the news at a 10 a.m. joint press conference at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center in Braintree. Archbishop-elect Henning will be installed as Archbishop of Boston Oct. 31 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.
Henning will be the tenth bishop and seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, which was created in 1808.
“We’re blessed with a very vibrant Catholic community,” O’Malley said of Boston. “For the two decades that I have been here as Archbishop. I found strength in the deep faith of our Catholic people. They care about the less fortunate, forgotten, sick, single mothers caring for children, persons suffering from addiction, migrants, and for the homeless.”
O’Malley was appointed the Archbishop of Boston in 2003 by Pope John Paul II, succeeding Cardinal Bernard Law after he resigned amid the fallout of the clergy sex abuse scandal. The Archbishop was appointed a cardinal in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Ohio-native served as Bishop of Fall River for a decade and briefly as Bishop of Palm Beach before coming to Boston.
During his time as a cardinal, O’Malley was brought into the Council of Cardinal Advisers by Pope Francis after it was formed to help govern and reform the Catholic Church in 2013 and Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in 2014. He served as president of the Commission from 2014 until 2024, when he reached the age for mandatory retirement from the post.
Welcome to Boston Bishop Henning
Gov. Maura Healey issued a statement congratulating the cardinal on his service and retirement and thanking him for the chance to “seek and receive his advice many times” in office.
“I greatly admire his deep faith and his empathy and compassion for all,” Healey said. “He will be remembered for his lifesaving support for families experiencing homelessness, his advocacy for more affordable housing, his support for victims of human trafficking and his global leadership in the fight against climate change.”
O’Malley offered his resignation when he turned 75 in 2019, which is requested of cardinals by the church, but was asked to stay on longer. Cardinals lose their right to vote in a conclave at age 80. Despite his retirement, O’Malley said he’s not planning on “taking up golf” anytime soon and will remain active in the church.
As the head of the Diocese of Providence for just over a year, Henning acknowledged his appointment may come as a surprise to many, “as it was to (him).” He succeeded Bishop Thomas Tobin after his retirement in May 2023, becoming a Bishop.
Originally from New York, Henning was previously appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Providence in 2022 by Pope Francis.
Henning spoke on several issues within the church’s purview, including the fallout of sexual abuse, the local migrant crisis, and abortion.
“I will admit I don’t know that I’ve ever been an activist,” Henning said. “I’m not that exciting. And my stance in Providence has been that I’m a pastor and not a politician.”
The bishop noted he is pro-life, “because I believe that the gospel teaches us sacred dignity of every human life,” but added that “every woman should have a full choice.” Of the migrant crisis, Henning said he will become educated in the role of the Archdiocese and thinks of the issue in the lens of “reverence for the human person.”
Henning noted he was a child as “crimes and sins were committed” during the clergy abuse scandal and expressed the intent to listen to the continued “pain and woundedness” of survivors.
Others expressed concern with Henning’s appointment and O’Malley’s legacy on sexual abuse in the archdiocese.
“To most clergy sexual abuse victims, the replacement of Cardinal O’Malley by Bishop Henning is business as usual within the Catholic Church,” said Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer for clergy sexual abuse victims. “Bishop Henning does not have track record of protecting children through either strongly speaking out against clergy sexual abuse or supporting substantive change.”
The leadership transition will take place over the next several months, Henning said Monday, stating he will commute regularly from Providence. As a multilingual pastor, he said, he is “eager to get to know our Spanish-speaking Catholics here in the Archdiocese.”
The Archbishop appointment was the most shocking one of his career, Henning added, and he took three minutes to sit down and respond after picking up the phone and hearing the news.
“I am not worthy of this call,” Henning said at the press conference. “I was deeply shocked and surprised by this call, but I know the goodness of God suffices in all things. I will trust in Him. God bless the Archdiocese of Boston.”
