Seán Patrick O'Malley

Seán Patrick O'Malley ComIH GCIH OFM Cap (born June 29, 1944) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church serving as the Archbishop of Boston. O'Malley is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, commonly known as the Capuchins.

His Eminence Seán Patrick O'Malley OFM Cap
Cardinal, Archbishop of Boston
Cardinal O'Malley in 2010
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Boston
Appointed	July 1, 2003
Installed	July 30, 2003
Predecessor	Bernard Francis Law
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Vittoria Member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers President of Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors Member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Orders
Ordination	August 29, 1970 by John Bernard McDowell
Consecration	August 2, 1984 by Edward John Harper, James Aloysius Hickey, and Eugene Antonio Marino
Created cardinal	March 24, 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Birth name	Patrick O'Malley
Born	(1944-06-29) June 29, 1944 Lakewood, Ohio, US
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Coadjutor Bishop of Saint Thomas, American Virgin Islands (1984–1985) Roman Catholic Bishop of Saint Thomas, American Virgin Islands (1985–1992) Roman Catholic Bishop of Fall River (1992–2002) Roman Catholic Bishop of Palm Beach (2002–2003)
Alma mater	Catholic University of America
Motto	Quodcumque dixerit facite ("Do whatever he says")

Styles of Seán Patrick O'Malley, OFM Cap
Reference style	His Eminence The Most Reverend Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence[1][2]
Informal style	Cardinal

Ordination history of Seán Patrick O'Malley
History Priestly ordination Ordained by John Bernard McDowell (Pittsburgh aux.) Date August 29, 1970 Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Edward John Harper CSsR (St Thomas) Co-consecrators James Aloysius Hickey (Washington) Eugene Antonio Marino (Washington aux.) Date August 2, 1984
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by Seán Patrick O'Malley as principal consecrator John Anthony Dooher December 12, 2006 Robert Francis Hennessey December 12, 2006 Arthur Kennedy September 14, 2010 Peter John Uglietto September 14, 2010 Donald Lippert February 4, 2012 Robert Deeley January 4, 2013

O'Malley was elevated to the cardinalate in 2006. He was considered a papabile contender to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned on February 28, 2013, until Pope Francis was chosen on March 13, 2013.[3] On April 13, 2013, Francis appointed O'Malley as one of eight cardinals of the Council of Cardinal Advisers to help the Pope govern the Catholic Church and reform its central administration.[4] Since March 22, 2014,[5][6] O'Malley has served as President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.[7] On January 14, 2017, Francis appointed O'Malley to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.[8]

Biography

Early life, education and ordination

Seán Patrick O'Malley was born as Patrick O'Malley on June 29, 1944, in Lakewood, Ohio, the son of Theodore and Mary Louise (née Reidy) O'Malley. Both parents were of Irish descent. O'Malley, his sister, and his older brother grew up in South Hills of Pittsburgh, and Reading, Pennsylvania. At age 12, he entered St. Fidelis Minor Seminary in Herman, Pennsylvania, a boarding school for students who were considering joining the Franciscan order. While there, in addition to studying the normal high school subjects, he also studied Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, German, and Hebrew, while also being active in theatre.

After graduating from St. Fidelis, he attended Capuchin College in Washington, DC, and the Catholic University of America, where he is now a member of the Board of Trustees.

On July 14, 1965, at the age of 21, O'Malley professed his vows in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and took the name Seán in honor of St. John the Apostle. After he was ordained a deacon, he spent a brief period in Easter Island, Chile. He was ordained a priest on August 29, 1970, at age 26, by Bishop John Bernard McDowell, an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

After ordination he graduated from The Catholic University of America with a master's degree in religious education and a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese literature.

Professor and pastor

O'Malley served as a professor at The Catholic University from 1969 to 1973.

In 1973, he was asked to minister to Latinos living in the Washington, DC, area at the Spanish Catholic Center. The Center was founded in 1967 by the Archdiocese of Washington, and it was originally headed by Spanish missionaries Fr. Rutílio and Sister Ana María. It is an organization which provided educational, medical and legal help to immigrants. He opened a Spanish bookstore and founded El Pregonero, the first Spanish newspaper in the DC area.

In 1978, Cardinal William Wakefield Baum appointed him episcopal vicar for the Portuguese, Hispanic, and Haitian communities, and he became the executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Social Ministry. He was also named knight commander of the Order of Infante D. Henrique by Portugal in 1985 for his service to the Portuguese people. He says his daily prayers in Spanish.[9]

Bishop of Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands

O'Malley was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Saint Thomas on May 30, 1984, by Pope John Paul II.[10] He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 2 by Bishop Edward John Harper, with Archbishop James Hickey and Bishop Eugene Marino serving as co-consecrators.

He served as coadjutor for one year and then succeeded Harper as Bishop of Saint Thomas on October 16, 1985, upon Harper's resignation. While in the Virgin Islands, he worked with the homeless and opened a home for people with AIDS. He was made an honorary chaplain of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1991.

Bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts

On June 16, 1992, O'Malley was chosen to head the Diocese of Fall River.[2] He was installed on August 11, 1992. As Bishop, O'Malley first attempted to settle the sexual abuse scandal in the Fall River diocese.

Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida

In the Palm Beach diocese (2002-2003),[2] Bishop O'Malley also tried to overcome the abuse scandal there. He also worked closely with the Portuguese and Hispanic population, which make up a large percentage of the Catholics in the United States.

In 1998 John Paul II appointed O'Malley to the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops.[2]

Archbishop of Boston

O'Malley speaks to students at St. Paul's Catholic Church, home to the Catholic community at Harvard University, in 2006

Known as a fixer in various Roman Catholic dioceses plagued by sexual abuse scandals, he became the Archbishop of Boston in 2003,[11] succeeding Cardinal Bernard Law who had resigned as a consequence of the sexual abuse scandal there.

On July 3, 2019, the Archdiocese released a statement revealing that O'Malley had agreed to accept Pope Francis' request to stay on as Archbishop of Boston "for a few more years," despite the fact that O'Malley, as required, submitted his letter of resignation upon turning 75 years of age.[12][13] Archdiocese spokesperson Terry Donilon said O'Malley was "really relieved" about the Vatican's decision and that "He loves being the archbishop of Boston and so we're pleased that that was settled right out of the box."[13] The Archdiocese statement also claimed that "The Cardinal is pleased to have the continued confidence of the Holy Father and looks forward to continuing to serve the people of God in Boston and in support of the Pope’s ministry in leading the universal church."[12]

Cardinal

Cardinal O'Malley in 2014

Pope Benedict XVI elevated O'Malley to the rank of Cardinal-Priest in the consistory of March 24, 2006. O'Malley was assigned the titular church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. The following May, O'Malley was named as a member of both the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in the Roman Curia. In late September 2009, he became a member of the Presidential Council of the Pontifical Council for the Family, on the same day as an American couple and a professor of law at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, were named as consultors.

On September 19, 2006, O'Malley became the first cardinal with a personal blog. As of Christmas 2006 he began offering a regular podcast as well.[14] He views the podcasts as "yet another tool [he] can use to reach the young people in our Church who more and more are turning to the Internet for their information."[15]

O'Malley participated in the 2013 papal conclave, which elected Pope Francis, and is eligible to participate in future papal conclaves that are held before his 80th birthday on June 29, 2024. As of September 2011, O'Malley is the only Capuchin member of the College of Cardinals.[16]

On April 13, 2013, he was appointed to a group of eight cardinals established by Pope Francis exactly a month after his election, to advise him and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor bonus. The group's first meeting was scheduled for October 1–3, 2013. The Pope was already in contact with the members of this group.[17]

Along with former Washington, DC, Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, O'Malley accompanied Francis to Cuba on September 20, 2015.[18][19]

O'Malley praised the new tone of Francis' papacy. He stated however that those that expected change in doctrine from the pope on sexual ethics like abortion, contraception, and gay marriage would be disappointed. He also indicated that the church would not alter the ban on Communion for the divorced remarried and that he saw no theological justification for doing so.[20]

On January 14, 2017, Pope Francis named O'Malley to serve as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the CDF; formerly, the Holy Office), which is for a five-year renewable term.[21]

Apostolic Visitor to Dublin

In June 2010, after the Ryan Report and Murphy Report on the abuses by the Church in Ireland, O'Malley was named along with others to oversee the apostolic visitation of certain dioceses and seminaries in Ireland. O'Malley was named as the Visitor to the Archdiocese of Dublin and its suffragan sees, Ferns and Ossory and Kildare and Leighlin. He would report back to the Holy See on what steps had been taken since the reports were issued, and what else needs to happen.[22]

Views

Abortion politics

In November 2007, O'Malley said that the Democratic Party has been persistently hostile to pro-life groups and that the fact many Catholic voters support Democratic candidates "borders on scandal."[23] In a November 2008 interview he said that, unless the Church formally excommunicated them, he would not deny Communion to Catholic politicians in his diocese who support legal abortion.[24] Despite criticism from conservative Catholics, including Raymond Arroyo of Eternal Word Television Network, of his participation in the funeral service for Senator Ted Kennedy, a long-standing supporter of legal abortion, O'Malley assisted at the funeral Mass and led a prayer. He called for less contentious political dialog: "We will not change hearts by turning away from people in their time of need and when they are experiencing grief and loss." He said he appreciated the Senator's work for social justice, but that "there is a tragic sense of lost opportunity in his lack of support for the unborn".[25]

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

On October 1, 2009, O'Malley wrote a letter on behalf of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), then under investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, praising a traveling exhibition that documented the work of women religious in the United States. He wrote that "the Church is grateful for all that your communities have done and continue to do to advance the mission of the Church, especially in the areas of health care, education, social services, and pastoral ministry, as are highlighted in the exhibit".[26]

Sexual abuse policies

O'Malley has settled 101 abuse claims and has initiated a zero tolerance policy against sexual abuse. He also instituted one of the first comprehensive sexual abuse policies in the Roman Catholic Church.[27] On December 5, 2013, O'Malley announced a pontifically approved commission, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors whose purpose is to prevent clerical sexual abuse and to help victims.[28] When the Commission was established on March 22, 2014, O'Malley was named as its first head.[29][30] In 2015, he supported the film Spotlight, which took an in-depth look at the wrongdoings of the Catholic Church in light of sexual abuse scandals.

Theodore McCarrick and St. John's Seminary controversies

O'Malley's stance towards handling sex abuse came under question in July 2018,[31] when it was revealed that the cardinal neglected a letter which Boniface Ramsey, a New York priest, sent to him on June 17, 2015, concerning sex abuse committed by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.[32] Despite being required to enforce a zero-tolerance policy with regards to reporting sex abuse, O'Malley said the letter was handled by staff and was never forwarded to him.[33]

Ramsey stated that he had reported the allegations against McCarrick to other Catholic officials before he sent his letter to O'Malley.[32] During the time the letter was sent, McCarrick and O'Malley were both working with Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega to mend the long-strained relations between the United States and Cuba.[34][35] McCarrick also accepted O'Malley's invitation to appear at the Archdiocese of Boston's "Celebration of the Priesthood" fundraising dinner which took place in South Boston in September 2015.[36][35]

On August 10, 2018, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in the Archdiocese of Boston's St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts.[37] On August 15, 2018, it was announced that O'Malley would not attend the World Meeting of Families held in Dublin, Ireland between August 21 and August 26 in order to review these allegations.[38]

Caritas Christi controversy

In 2009, Caritas Christi Health Care, which the Archdiocese of Boston owned, proposed contracting with Centene Corporation, a Missouri-based health insurer, to provide certain healthcare services, including abortion and pregnancy termination services, through a jointly-owned venture named Celticare. The new director of Caritas, Ralph de la Torre, announced the project as part of an effort to relieve the hospital system's financial problems while extending services to low income and underserved populations.[39] In order for Caritas to participate in the Massachusetts state program CommonwealthCare, Caritas needed to provide access to mandated services, including some forbidden by Catholic teaching. Torre explained:

When a patient seeks such a procedure, Caritas healthcare professionals will be clear that (a) the hospital does not perform them and (b) the patient must turn to his or her insurer for further guidance. This, in fact, is the practice currently in place in the Caritas system as we work with other insurance companies under state laws that mandate access to procedures not provided within the Caritas system.[40]

O'Malley asked the National Catholic Bioethical Center to review the contractual relationship,[41] which theologians in a survey conducted by The Boston Globe in March had unanimously supported on the grounds that Catholic hospitals would not participate directly in providing abortion and the arrangement would allow Caritas to deliver much-needed services to the poor.[42] The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts criticized the arrangement: "With Caritas Christi now thoroughly embedded in the culture of death, we are now facing the end, in Massachusetts at least, of Catholic medical resistance to abortion and contraception. This tragic state of affairs is the personal responsibility of the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O'Malley."[41]

In June 2009, Caritas Christi, at O'Malley's insistence, terminated its partial ownership of Celticare.[43][44] O'Malley said:[39]

Throughout this process, our singular goal has been to provide for the needs of the poor and under-served in a manner that is fully and completely in accord with Catholic moral teaching. By withdrawing from the joint venture and serving the poor as a provider ... upholding Catholic moral teaching at all times, they are able to carry forward the critical mission of Catholic health care.

Pro-life activist groups varied in their responses. Some praised O'Malley's decision, but others continued to object that Caritas, as a participant in CommonwealthCare, is still required, even as it refuses to provide abortions, to engage in abortion referrals.[45]

Catholic Charities and gay adoption

See also: Catholic Charities USA § Boston

Massachusetts has included sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination statute since 1989,[46] and it legalized same-sex marriage beginning May 17, 2004.[47] Between about 1985 and 1995, Catholic Charities of Boston, which accepted state funds in support of its adoption services program, placed 13 children with gay couples out of 720 adoptions. Catholic Charities President J. Bryan Hehir explained the practice: "If we could design the system ourselves, we would not participate in adoptions to gay couples, but we can't. We have to balance various goods."[48] In December 2005, the lay-dominated board of Catholic Charities of Boston voted unanimously to continue gay adoptions. On March 10, 2006, after unsuccessfully seeking help from Governor Mitt Romney in obtaining an exemption from the state's anti-discrimination statute, O'Malley and leaders of Catholic Charities announced that the agency would terminate its adoption work effective June 30, rather than continue to place children under the guardianship of homosexual couples. Hehir said "This is a difficult and sad day for Catholic Charities. We have been doing adoptions for more than 100 years."[49]

Honours

• Commander of the Order of Prince Henry, Portugal (7 February 1985) [50]
• Grand-Cross of the Order of Prince Henry, Portugal (28 June 2016) [50]

Bibliography

• O'Malley, Sean Patrick (June 2010). Anel e Sandálias [Rings and Sandals] (in Portuguese). Pauline Books and Media. ISBN 9789896730994. EAN 560-3658113471

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. Cardinal Seán 60 Minutes. CBS News. cbsnews.com. November 16, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2015
2. About Cardinal Seán Cardinal's Corner. BostonCatholic.org. Archdiocese of Boston. 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
3. Smith-Spark, Laura; Greene, Richard Allen; Rivers, Dan. "No winner in first vote to elect new pope". CNN.
4. Pope Francis Forms 8-Cardinal Advisory Board to Reform Catholic Church Anugrah Kumar. The Christian Post. April 14, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2015
5. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2014/03/22/pope-francis-names-cardinal-sean-p-omalley-and-seven-others-to-new-vatican-anti-abuse-commission
6. https://thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=170980
7. http://www.protectionofminors.va/content/tuteladeiminori/en/who-we-are_section/page_en-members.html
8. O'Connell, Gerard (14 January 2017). "Pope Appoints Cardinal O'Malley as Member of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith". americamagazine.org. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
9. Paulson, Michael (July 8, 2007). "Vatican grants a revival for old-style Latin Mass". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
10. Cheney, David M. "Sean Patrick Cardinal O'Malley [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
11. Donis Tracy (August 1, 2003). "Archbishop Seán O'Malley installed as sixth Archbishop of Boston". The Pilot. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
12. July 3, 2019 - Statement Of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Boston Archdiocese of Boston, accessed April 24, 2020
13. "Pope Requests Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley Remain In Post". WBUR-FM. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
14. Michael Paulson (December 21, 2006). "Cardinal O'Malley to launch podcasts". Boston Globe. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
15. Sean Patrick Cardinal O'Malley (2006). "Leading up to Christmas". CardinalSeansBlog.com. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
16. January 18, 2007; Cardinali appartenenti ad Istituti di vita consacrata o Società di vita apostolica (Italian); Holy See Press Office; url accessed February 3, 2007
17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 28, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
18. "Bishop: Lay Faithful, not Bishops, Must Investigate McCarrick and Coverup".
19. "Home".
20. "Pope Francis softening tone, not stance, Cardinal Sean O'Malley says - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
21. "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
22. Cullen, Kevin, "US visitor well versed in church abuse issue", The Irish Times, Friday, June 4, 2010
23. Paulson, Michael (November 15, 2007). "O'Malley draws line with Democrats". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
24. Paulson, Michael (November 11, 2008). "O'Malley on Obama and abortion". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
25. Paulson, Michael (September 3, 2009). "O'Malley defends role at Kennedy rites". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
26. "Bishops' Committee Heralds Leadership Conference Of Women Religious Exhibit On Sisters, October 2, 2009". Office of Media Relations. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
27. "Boston Globe / Spotlight / Abuse in the Catholic Church / The church's response". www.boston.com.
28. Pope has approved a commission of experts to prevent clerical sex abuse and help victims on YouTube
29. "Francis names O'Malley to Vatican antiabuse panel - the Boston Globe".
30. "Chirograph of His Holiness Pope Francis for the institution of a Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (22 March 2014) | Francis".
31. "News and Press Current and Archives | Archdiocese of Boston".
32. https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2018/08/14/abuse-letter-to-cardinal-omalley-was-second-priest-sent-officials-about-mccarrick/
33. "Cardinal O'Malley calls for 'clearer procedures' in bishop abuse cases".
34. "Google Translate".
35. "Cardinal O'Malley Takes Personal Responsibility for Failing McCarrick Whistleblower".
36. "Celebrating the Priesthood – Cardinal Seán's Blog".
37. "St. John's Seminary Shakeup Amid Probe into Sexual Misconduct Claims". 2018-08-10.
38. "Cardinal to miss World Meeting of Families to tend to seminary matters". 2018-08-15.
39. Paulson, Michael; Lazar, Kay (June 27, 2009). "Caritas ends joint venture". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
40. Paulson, Michael (June 12, 2009). "Cardinal seeks changes to Caritas venture". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
41. Paulson, Michael (March 12, 2009). "Cardinal warns Caritas approval not final". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
42. Paulson, Michael (March 11, 2009). "Caritas deal gets support of leading theologians". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
43. "Caritas-CeltiCare joint ownership ends". NECN. June 27, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
44. "Archdiocese of Boston Supports New Caritas Arrangement, June 26, 2009". Archdiocese of Boston. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
45. Paulson, Michael (June 28, 2009). "Mixed reaction to Caritas abortion decision". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
46. "A Gay Rights Law Is Voted in Massachusetts". New York Times. November 1, 1989. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
47. Weiss, Joanna (May 17, 2004). "Cambridge plays host to a giant celebration". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
48. Wen, Patricia (October 22, 2005). "Archdiocesan Agency Aids in Adoption by Gays". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2013., also available here Archived August 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
49. Boston Globe: Patricia Wen, "Catholic Charities stuns state, ends adoptions," March 3, 2006, accessed February 24, 2012, also available here Archived August 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
50. "Cidadãos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas". Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas. Retrieved 20 March 2019.

External links

• "O'Malley Card. Seán Patrick, O.F.M. Cap". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
• Cardinal Seán's blog
• Boston Archdiocese page for Archbishop Seán O'Malley
• Salt+Light TV Interview: Cardinal Sean O'Malley – Witness on YouTube
• Photographs of Archbishop O'Malley at March 19, 2005 Boston Men's Conference
• "Archbishop Seán Patrick O'Malley". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
• Catholic Pages
• Biography of Archbishop O'Malley
• Examination of the ring of O'Malley with pictures

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Edward John Harper	Roman Catholic Bishop of St Thomas 1985–1992	Succeeded by Elliot Griffin Thomas
Preceded by Daniel Anthony Cronin	Roman Catholic Bishop of Fall River 1992–2002	Succeeded by George William Coleman
Preceded by Anthony O'Connell	Roman Catholic Bishop of Palm Beach 2002–2003	Succeeded by Gerald Barbarito
Preceded by Bernard Francis Law	Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston 2003–present	Incumbent
Preceded by ?	Grand prior of the Northeastern Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre 2003–present
Preceded by Giuseppe Caprio	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome 2006–present