- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
Boston archbishop, ally of sex abuse victims, retires
US Cardinal Sean O'Malley, known for championing survivors of sexual abuse and pushing the Catholic Church to reform, is stepping down as the Archbishop of Boston, the Vatican announced Monday.
The 80-year-old will be replaced by Richard Henning, the 59-year-old bishop of Providence, to helm the fourth-largest diocese in the United States, the Vatican said in a statement.
It did not give a reason, saying only that Pope Francis had accepted O'Malley's resignation.
In the Catholic Church, bishops who lead a diocese have a traditional retirement age of 75, but the pope has the discretion to ask them to stay on longer.
At a media briefing in Boston to introduce Henning, O'Malley did not give a specific reason for his resignation.
"I was installed 21 years ago as Archbishop here. I'd just come from the Diocese of Palm Beach where I had served for only nine months before receiving the call that brought me to Boston, so I understand Bishop-elect Henning's surprise at his nomination after such a short tenure in the Diocese of Providence," said O'Malley, confirming Henning would take up the job on October 31.
For now, O'Malley remains head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a body created by Pope Francis to fight pedophilia by priests that the bishop has led since 2014.
- 'Deeply shocked' -
O'Malley's resignation ends a two-decade chapter leading Catholics in the largely Irish and Italian city of Boston, where the global scandal over child sex abuse by clergy erupted in 2002, the year before he arrived.
An ally of Francis, O'Malley is part of the Franciscan mendicant order, Friars Minor Capuchin, and spent his early years as a priest building bridges with the immigrant Hispanic community in the diocese of Washington DC.
Henning is fluent in Spanish and learning Portuguese, he told the media briefing.
Before arriving in Boston, O'Malley served as bishop of Saint Thomas, a diocese covering all the US Virgin Islands, and later of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston.
In Fall River and the diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, he managed the fall-out of scandals involving the sexual abuse of minors by priests.
But it was in Boston where O'Malley came to prominence, managing what was then the highest-profile US clerical sex abuse scandal, later depicted in the Academy Award-winning film, "Spotlight".
Recognized for his rapport with victims and his speed in settling cases, under O'Malley's watch the archdiocese agreed to pay $85 million to settle nearly 550 victim lawsuits.
Henning paid tribute to O'Malley's "extraordinary ministry" without specifically referring to the outgoing archbishop's work on survivors of sexual abuse.
"I am not worthy of this call. I was deeply shocked and surprised by this call," Henning said.
Ch.Havering--AMWN