Cardinal O'Malley by Scott Maentz / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // President Peter Kilpatrick of the Catholic University of America (CUA) announced the creation of a new endowed chair in honor of Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley’s legacy, on June 29, the Cardinal’s 80th birthday, and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
In a letter to the CUA community, President Fitzpatrick announced that this week marks the launch of a “fundraising initiative to establish the Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley Endowed Chair for Hispanic Ministry and Evangelization that will reside in the University’s School of Theology and Religious Studies.”
Cardinal O’Malley attended CUA in the late 1960s as a Capuchin seminarian. He pursued a master’s degree in religious education and later earned a doctorate in Spanish and Portuguese Literature. From 1969 to 1973, he contributed as a professor and subsequently served as chairman of the Board of Trustees during the 2016-17 term.
Following his tenure at CUA, Cardinal O’Malley assumed the role of Executive Director at the Centro Católico Hispano in the Archdiocese of Washington, and subsequently was appointed Episcopal Vicar for the Hispanic, Portuguese, and Haitian communities.
Pope John Paul II appointed him as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, a position he held for more than a year before becoming the bishop from 1985 to 1992.
On August 2, 1984, Cardinal O’Malley was ordained as a bishop at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, which is named after the saints whose feast day coincides with Cardinal O’Malley’s birthday. He became the diocesan bishop of the Caribbean diocese the following year.
In 1992, he was unexpectedly appointed Bishop of the Fall River diocese in Massachusetts, where he confronted a growing sex abuse scandal involving former priest James Porter. He addressed and attended to the profound wounds within the diocese caused by sexual abuse, settling over 101 claims and instituting a zero-tolerance policy against sexual misconduct.
During his 10 years in Fall River, he was active in the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, especially on pro-life issues. He was also appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops in 1998 and served as Apostolic Visitator for several seminaries in Central America and the Caribbean.
In 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed then Bishop O’Malley as Bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, which itself was in significant disarray following the resignation of two successive bishops admitting sexual abuse.
Less than a year later, recognized for his adept leadership in dioceses facing challenges of sexual abuse scandals, Cardinal O’Malley was appointed to Boston; ground-zero in what would become a global abuse crisis.
Appointed by Pope John Paul II as Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal O’Malley was tasked with rebuilding the Church in Boston following the scandal-ridden resignation of his predecessor, Cardinal Bernard Law.
Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to cardinal in 2006, and gave him the titular church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. The Holy Father also named him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Shortly after Pope Francis’s election in March 2013, Cardinal O’Malley was selected as the only North American member of the Pope’s Council of Cardinals, the inner circle of cardinals that advises the pope on the governance of the Church.
Due to his experience in facilitating healing and growth in dioceses affected by sex abuse scandals, Pope Francis also appointed him to lead the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Cardinal O’Malley is an active member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and is the former chairman of their Committee Pro-Life Activities, and has served on numerous other commissions and committees, including Missions, Priestly Formation, Hispanic Affairs, Migration, and the boards of Catholic Relief Services, the Association for the Development of the Catholic University of Portugal, and The Catholic University of America.
Cardinal O’Malley holds significant prestige at the Vatican due to his current positions. With the celebration of his 80th birthday on June 29 2024, the number of American cardinals eligible to vote in a future conclave decreases to nine. This transition also signifies the end of his eligibility to be elected Pope and marks the conclusion of his esteemed tenure as president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
