Cardinal Sean O’ Malley, a close ally of Pope Francis, steps down as Archbishop of Boston at 80

Pope Francis has recently accepted the resignation of Cardinal Sean O’Malley from his position as Archbishop of Boston. The Pope appointed Bishop Richard Henning from Providence, Rhode Island, to succeed him in leading one of the most significant Catholic archdioceses in the United States.

Despite stepping down as Archbishop, O’Malley’s resignation did not touch on his substantial role as Francis’ chief adviser in the fight against clergy sexual abuse as the head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It is implied that O’Malley will continue this crucial role until a new leader for the commission is chosen.

O’Malley was appointed by St. John Paul II in 2003 to take charge in Boston during a time of intense scrutiny due to the clergy sexual abuse scandal that had surfaced following an investigation by the Boston Globe. The scandal, which revealed years of abuse and cover-ups within the church, ultimately led to the resignation of then-Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law in 2002.

Now at 80 years old, O’Malley is five years past the standard retirement age for bishops. Pope Francis has always held O’Malley in high regard, selecting him as one of the founding members of his core cardinal advisers, known as the C9. In addition to advising the Pope on child protection matters, O’Malley played a key role in reshaping the Vatican bureaucracy.