O'Malley and his flock get a boost

Pope Benedict XVI yesterday named Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley a cardinal, providing a strong endorsement for a beleaguered archbishop and a weary archdiocese struggling to rebuild the storied but scandal-torn Catholic Church of Boston.

By including O'Malley among his first 15 appointments to the college of cardinals, the new pope passed over the archbishops of Paris and Dublin and ignored concerns that Americans are already overrepresented among the princes of the church. Instead, Benedict tacitly acknowledged the size and historic significance to the global church of Boston's large Catholic population and rewarded O'Malley for a lengthy career as a bishop that has included three difficult stints overseeing dioceses reeling from sexual-abuse crises.

O'Malley, who spent yesterday in Minnesota as a member of a team assessing the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, told reporters in a subdued 10-minute conference call that he was ''very moved" by the development and that he hopes ''the Lord will give me the strength and the light to be able to accept the responsibility."

''This appointment is as much about the church of Boston as it is about me," he said. ''The church of Boston is a very important church, with a glorious history, and although we've had a very bad patch in the last few years, still the church of Boston is very important to the universal church, and the fact that the archbishop is once again named a cardinal is an indication of that connection."

O'Malley will be the fifth cardinal-archbishop of Boston; the first, Archbishop William H. O'Connell, was named a cardinal in 1911, and then Archbishop Richard J. Cushing was named a cardinal in 1958, Archbishop Humberto S. Medeiros in 1973, and Archbishop Bernard F. Law in 1985. The Archdiocese of Boston claims a Catholic population of 2 million, making it the fourth-largest diocese in the United States, after Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.

''For him, personally, it doesn't change much," said Jack Connors Jr., a prominent Boston advertising executive who has worked with O'Malley as chairman of a committee examining the Catholic schools and as a member of a committee reviewing parish closings. ''He's a very humble servant of the Lord, and I don't think titles particularly move him; he's not inhaling this stuff. But for the city, and for those of us that are sheep in the flock, it's terrific, because it's a recognition of the quality of the man and the size of the mission."

Cardinals retain their normal duties as bishops, but often have heavy travel schedules, taking on responsibilities in Rome, as members of committees overseeing Vatican agencies, and around the world, as much-sought speakers. But O'Malley said he will work hard to prioritize the needs of Boston, where the archdiocese faces ongoing legal, financial, political, and spiritual challenges.

''I routinely turn down many invitations to preach outside the diocese or to attend different meetings or functions," O'Malley said.

''I think the Holy See is also aware of the need for Boston to be the principal focus of the archbishop, particularly when so much is going on and so much has happened. . . . I hope to be able to continue to focus on Boston and to be able to get out of some of the commitments that might in some other times or places be part of a cardinal's life."

Benedict announced the names of the new cardinals at the Vatican yesterday. Those named include one other American, Archbishop William J. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and former archbishop of San Francisco. Also on the list was Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland, who was the longtime private secretary to the late Pope John Paul II. The list also includes the bishop of Hong Kong and the archbishops of Caracas, Manila, and Seoul.

The new cardinals ''well reflect the universality of the church," the pope said. ''In fact, they come from various parts of the world and undertake different duties in the service of the people of God."

As a result of the new appointments, there will be 193 cardinals, of whom 120 will be under age 80, the age limit for voting in a papal election. Pope Paul VI limited the number of those cardinal-electors to 120, and although John Paul II had exceeded that number several times, Benedict has made clear he intends to honor that restriction.

To be named a cardinal, O'Malley had to overcome concern among some at the Vatican that Americans are overrepresented among the cardinal-electors. Americans make up just 6 percent of the global Catholic Church, but will now make up 10.8 percent of the cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope, according to an analysis by the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a visiting scholar at Santa Clara University.

The new cardinals ''have the duty to help and support Peter's successor [the pope] in carrying out the apostolic task entrusted to him in the service of the church," Benedict said. ''The cardinals constitute a sort of senate around the pope upon which he relies in carrying out the duties associated with his ministry as permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion."

Benedict said he will invite all the cardinals of the church to Rome March 23 for ''a meeting of reflection and prayer."

Then, on March 24, he will oversee the consistory at which O'Malley and the other new cardinals will receive the red hats, or birettas, that signify their new offices.

And then on Sunday, March 25, the pope will concelebrate a Mass with the new cardinals, at which he will give them new rings.

O'Malley, 61, has served as archbishop of Boston since July 2003. A Capuchin Franciscan friar, he had previously served as bishop of Palm Beach, Fla.; Fall River, Mass.; and the US Virgin Islands. O'Malley traveled with and visited Pope John Paul II on multiple occasions; he has had a less close relationship with Benedict XVI, but had a private meeting with the new pontiff at the Vatican Oct. 27.

O'Malley will be only the 10th Capuchin friar to become a cardinal. The most recent was Archbishop Antonio Maria Barbieri of Montevideo, Uruguay, who was elevated in 1958.

In Boston, O'Malley replaced Law, who resigned in December 2002 over criticism of his failure to remove sexually abusive priests from ministry. Law, still an active cardinal with multiple responsibilities at the Vatican, now serves as archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

In Boston, O'Malley has had a difficult and contentious tenure. He won widespread praise for settling more than 500 legal claims brought by victims of clergy sexual abuse in late 2003. But his decision to close scores of parishes, citing shortages of priests, money, and worshipers, has been controversial, and six closed parishes have been occupied by protesters, in some cases for more than a year.

But yesterday, congratulations poured in. Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a churchgoing Catholic who has criticized O'Malley's handling of parish and school closings, said, ''This decision serves as recognition of the cardinal-elect's tireless leadership during difficult and trying times." He added that ''This reflects the national and world standing of the archdiocese, the city, and its people."

Governor Mitt Romney, a Mormon, was also pleased, saying: ''His elevation is a cause for celebration for Catholics across Massachusetts. I know he will bring his trademark wisdom, dignity, and humility to his new responsibilities as a leader of the Catholic Church."

The Episcopal bishops of Massachusetts, at odds with O'Malley over the legalization of same-sex marriage, sent him a congratulatory letter saying that ''you have led the archdiocese with deep spiritual conviction" and citing ''your lifelong devotion to the church."

The Greek Orthodox hierarch of Boston, Metropolitan Methodios, said, ''We join in this great celebration, and pray that Almighty God continues to inspire the visionary leadership of Archbishop O'Malley."

The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization, said, ''This news marks a new period of opportunity for relations between Jews and Catholics in Boston."

But victim advocates, critical of O'Malley's recent handling of abuse claims, were unhappy.

''Archbishop O'Malley is being rewarded, not only for his enforcement of traditional ideology, but also for conforming to the secrecy standards of cardinals," said Anne Barrett Doyle, an officer of a website that documents the abuse crisis, Bishopaccountability.org.

Michael Paulson can be reached at mpaulson@globe.com.