On Monday, Pope Francis revealed that he has selected Richard Henning, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence, to become the new archbishop of Boston.
At 59, Archbishop-elect Henning will take over from Cardinal Sean O’Malley, a highly influential figure in the U.S. church and a close confidant of Pope Francis.
At the age of 80, O’Malley previously held the position of bishop in Fall River, where he managed the aftermath of the sexual abuse scandal.
O’Malley has surpassed the typical retirement age for bishops by five years.
While cardinals hold their positions for life and he may continue to offer counsel and support to Pope Francis in retirement,
he is no longer eligible to vote in the election of a new pope due to his age.
Henning’s appointment is unexpected, given that he was only recently named Bishop of Providence last year.
He took over from Bishop Thomas Tobin, who had held the role since 2005.