Archbishop of Boston, ally of victims of sexual abuse, resigns

US Cardinal Sean O'Malley, known for championing sexual abuse survivors and pushing for reforms in the Catholic Church, has resigned as Archbishop of Boston, the Vatican announced on Monday. The octogenarian will be replaced by Richard Henning, the 59-year-old Bishop of Providence, to lead the fourth-largest diocese in the United States, the Vatican said in a statement. According to the announcement, Pope Francis has accepted Mr. O'Malley's resignation, but the reason for his departure has not been given. In the Catholic Church, bishops who lead a diocese usually retire when they turn 75, but the pope can ask them to stay on longer. For now, Bishop O'Malley remains head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a body created by Pope Francis to combat pedophilia by priests. The bishop has led this Commission since 2014. Bishop O'Malley's resignation ends a two-decade chapter of Catholic leadership in Boston, a city dominated by Italian and Irish communities. The global scandal over child sexual abuse by clergy erupted in Boston in 2002, a year before he was commissioned. An ally of Pope Francis, Bishop O'Malley is part of the Franciscan order, the Friars Minor Capuchin. He spent his early years as …

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Archbishop of Boston, ally of victims of sexual abuse, resigns

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