Seán Patrick O'Malley
Seán Patrick O'Malley OFM Cap (born June 29, 1944) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church who has been archbishop of the Boston in Massachusetts since 2003. A member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, he was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.
Seán Patrick O'Malley
July 1, 2003
July 30, 2003
Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Vittoria
Member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers
President of Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
August 29, 1970
by John Bernard McDowell
August 2, 1984
by Edward John Harper, James Aloysius Hickey, and Eugene Antonio Marino
March 24, 2006
by Pope Benedict XVI
- Bishop of Palm Beach (2002–2003)
- Bishop of Fall River (1992–2002)
- Bishop of Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands (1985–1992)
- Coadjutor Bishop of Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands (1984–1985)
Quodcumque dixerit facite ("Do whatever He says")
John Bernard McDowell (Pittsburgh aux.)
John Bernard McDowell (Pittsburgh aux.)
August 29, 1970
Edward John Harper CSsR (St Thomas)
James Aloysius Hickey (Washington)
Eugene Antonio Marino (Washington aux.)
August 2, 1984
December 12, 2006
December 12, 2006
December 12, 2006
September 14, 2010
September 14, 2010
February 4, 2012
January 4, 2013
Upon its creation in 2013, O'Malley was made a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers, formed by Pope Francis to help him govern the Catholic Church and reform its central administration. In March 2014, he became a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and he served as its president from December 2014 until he reached the mandatory retirement age for Curial assignments when he turned 80 in 2024.
O'Malley was bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida from 2002 to 2003, bishop of the Diocese of Fall River in Massachusetts from 1992 to 2002, and bishop of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands from 1985 to 1992, after more than a year as coadjutor there.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
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 High School 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 and the Catholic University of America, both in Washington, D.C. On July 14, 1965, at age 21, O'Malley professed his vows in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and took the name Seán in honor of John the Apostle. After he was ordained a deacon, O'Malley spent a brief period in Easter Island, Chile.
Priesthood[edit]
O'Malley was ordained a priest for the Order of Friars on August 29, 1970, at age 26, by Auxiliary Bishop John McDowell. After his ordination, O'Malley graduated from CUA with a master's degree in religious education and a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese literature. He served as a professor at Catholic University from 1969 to 1973.
In 1973, O'Malley was asked to minister to Latinos at the Spanish Catholic Center in Washington, D.C. He opened a Spanish bookstore there and founded El Pregonero, the first Spanish language newspaper in the area.
In 1978, Cardinal William Baum appointed O'Malley as episcopal vicar for the Portuguese, Hispanic, and Haitian communities in the Archdiocese of Washington. He also became executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Social Ministry. He says his daily prayers in Spanish.[3]
Bishop of Saint Thomas[edit]
O'Malley was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on June 2, 1984, by Pope John Paul II.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on August 2, 1984, from Bishop Edward Harper, with Archbishop James Hickey and Bishop Eugene Marino serving as co-consecrators.
O'Malley succeeded as bishop of Saint Thomas on October 16, 1985, when Pope John Paul accepted Harper's resignation.[5] While in the Virgin Islands, O'Malley worked with the homeless and opened a home for people with HIV/AIDS. He was made an honorary chaplain of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1991.
Bishop of Fall River[edit]
On June 16, 1992, John Paul II appointed O'Malley as bishop of 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.
In 1998, John Paul II appointed O'Malley to the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops.[2]
Views[edit]
Abortion politics[edit]
In November 2007, O'Malley said that the Democratic Party has been persistently hostile to anti-abortion groups and that the fact many Catholic voters support Democratic candidates "borders on scandal."[24] 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 abortion rights for women.[25] Despite criticism from conservative Catholics, including commentator Raymond Arroyo of Eternal Word Television Network, of his participation in the funeral service for Senator Ted Kennedy, a long-standing supporter of abortion rights, O'Malley assisted at the funeral Mass and led a prayer. He called for less contentious political dialogue: "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 Kennedy's work for social justice, but that "there is a tragic sense of lost opportunity in his lack of support for the unborn".[26]
Leadership Conference of Women Religious[edit]
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. O'Malley praised a traveling exhibition created by LCWR that documented the work of nuns 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".[27]
Sexual abuse policies[edit]
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.[28] 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.[29] When the commission was established on March 22, 2014, O'Malley was named one of its first eight members.[30][31] He supported the 2015 film Spotlight, which took an in-depth look at the wrongdoings of the Catholic Church in light of sexual abuse scandals.[32]
