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Who is Richard Henning, the new archbishop in Boston?
Bishop Richard Henning of Providence will take over the nation's fourth-largest archdiocese.
Bishop Richard Henning of Providence will succeed Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley as the archbishop of Boston, according to an announcement Monday from the Holy See.
For over 20 years, O’Malley led the nation’s fourth-largest archdiocese, guiding it through the aftermath of the priest sexual abuse scandal that riled the church two decades ago.
O’Malley was appointed archbishop in 2003 and, at 80, has already led Greater Boston’s Roman Catholic community for longer than expected, surpassing the retirement age of 75.
Henning, 59, and O’Malley concelebrated at Mass at 9 a.m. Monday in the Bethany Chapel at the archdiocese’s Pastoral Center in Braintree.
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A press conference followed, during which O’Malley announced that Henning would take over his role on Oct. 31, the eve of this year’s Holy Year.
“The arrival of a new archbishop is always a time of renewal and hope for the people of the archdiocese,” O’Malley said during the press conference. “Bishop-elect Henning brings the heart of a pastor in his new role. His fluency in Spanish will allow him to engage directly with our large Hispanic Catholic population.”
Henning said that when he received the call to move to Boston, he was “surprised,” especially since he has had such a short tenure in Providence — just a little over a year.
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“I am not worthy of this call,” said Henning at the conference. “I was deeply shocked and surprised by this call, but I know the goodness of God suffices in all things. I will trust in Him.”
Who is Henning?
Archbishop-elect Henning was born in October 1964 in Rockville Centre, on Long Island in New York. According to his bio, Henning was the first of five siblings.
He earned a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in history at Saint John’s University, Queens, New York. He performed his ecclesiastical studies at Huntington’s Seminary of the Immaculate Conception.
Henning was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rockville Centre on May 30, 1992.
After ordination, he was the parish vicar of Saint Peter of Alcantara, Port Washington, until 1997.
He obtained a licentiate in biblical theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington in 2000 and a doctorate in biblical theology from the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 2007.
According to his bio, Henning is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, and can read French, Greek, and Hebrew. (At the press conference, he said he was taking up Portuguese.)
He was appointed titular bishop of Tabla and auxiliary of Rockville Centre on June 8, 2018.
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According to the Boston Globe, the Rockville Centre diocese, which covers most of Long Island, filed for bankruptcy in 2020 following hundreds of sexual abuse cases that were filed against it under New York’s Child Victims Act, which allowed survivors time to file claims despite the statute of limitations. In May, the case was sent to mediation after most survivors rejected a proposed $200 million settlement, and the archdiocese sought to dismiss its bankruptcy.
During the press conference, Henning said he was not involved in the day-to-day proceedings but did “not dispute the decision under those circumstances.”
“The nature of the moment faced by the diocese didn’t leave any other choice,” Henning said.
Henning was appointed coadjutor bishop of Providence on November 23, 2022, and assumed governance of the diocese on May 1, 2023.
“I do feel a special tug in my heart today for my beloved Rhode Islanders,” said Henning. “This has been an extraordinary year with them. I’ve only been with them for a brief time, but it’s been a very intense and joyful time.”
Aligning with Pope Francis
Henning replaced Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, who was known for his opposition to gay marriage and abortion rights. Tobin criticized Pope Francis in 2020 for his support for same-sex civil unions.
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In contrast, Henning said in his 2022 interview with the Globe that his beliefs align “entirely” with those of the pope, who has maintained the Catholic doctrine against abortion and gay marriage but has said the church should not be “obsessed” with them.
During the press conference, Henning said he is pro-life because that is what the gospel teaches, but he is open to dialog.
When asked how he would respond to those hurt or affected by the sexual abuse scandals in Boston, Henning said, “I’ll listen to their pain, their woundedness.”
Henning, who was a child when the accusations first started coming out, said he lived through it as well and knew crimes and sins were committed. Even though he wasn’t affected by it personally, people in his generation were.
“It’s scandalous, and it’s certainly been painful for me over the course of my life, but it has not made me lose my faith in God or my faith in the possibility of reconciliation and new life, even in the midst of what they feel devastating,” said Henning. “If a leader in the church has failed you, I’m so sorry, but God has not failed you.”
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