Rev. Jeffrey Brown of the Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury; Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Methodios; Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley; Coptic Orthodox bishop of New York and New England Bishop David; and Rev. Laura Everett, executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches lead a January 2014 Ecumenical Prayer Service for Christian Martyrs. Pilot file photo/Gregory L. Tracy
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BRAINTREE -- In the wake of the Aug. 5 announcement that Bishop Richard G. Henning of Providence had been appointed to succeed Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley as Archbishop of Boston, faith communities throughout Greater Boston have contacted the archdiocese to express their gratitude for Cardinal O'Malley's 21 years of leadership.
"There's been an overwhelming amount of appreciation," Vito Nicastro, associate director of the Archdiocese of Boston's Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, told The Pilot on Aug. 6. "I'm hearing appreciation for courageous leadership on tough issues and standing up for the poor and marginalized."
Nicastro said that Cardinal O'Malley's ecumenical partners "built up a lot of trust" in his "conscience and compassion" over the years, as well as his humility and desire for Christian unity.
"They recognize that came from thoughtful foundations in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the social teaching of the church, and of course, the Gospel," Nicastro said.
He said he expects to speak at length about the cardinal's legacy in the coming months, particularly his work to strengthen the Catholic Church's relationship with the Greek Orthodox Church in Boston and the U.S.
Speaking to The Pilot Aug. 6, Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston said he was "disappointed" to hear the news of Cardinal O'Malley's retirement.
"I understand he's got to do it, but it still is disappointing for us because we're losing a good friend, a visionary leader, and a great person," he said.
Boston's Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches already had a good relationship, he said, but the cardinal "brought a different personality, a quiet leadership, a very effective leadership that we all were drawn to."
Cardinal O'Malley had an annual tradition of visiting the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Boston to celebrate Orthodox Easter with Metropolitan Methodios. The metropolitan also had a tradition of visiting the Cathedral of the Holy Cross during Holy Week.
"He used to come to our services and speak so beautifully, with such inspiration," he said. "That was something our people really enjoyed. He was just a wonderful person and people were able to get closer to him and appreciate his leadership."
Over the years, Metropolitan Methodios said, the two men became close friends, and were even mistaken for one another due to their similar appearance. He referred to Cardinal O'Malley as not only the leader of Boston's Catholic Church, but as a spiritual leader for all of New England's Christians.
"I'm missing not only a fellow bishop but a friend, and I'm sorry to see him go," he said.
Father Mina Kaddis of St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in Natick described Cardinal O'Malley as humble, courageous, and compassionate.
"He has really strengthened the churches and the faiths here in the city of Boston," he said. "I think that will be his legacy."
Father Kaddis said that he enjoyed attending the ecumenical meetings that Cardinal O'Malley helped to organize.
"The Coptic Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have been growing closer," he said. "The cardinal has carried that spirit of brotherly love. We've seen that growing, and we hope to see it continue."
Father Samuel Hanna, also of St. Mark's, said that he admired the cardinal for his "monastic" personality and lifestyle, and for strengthening the Archdiocese of Boston's relationship with Boston's Coptic Orthodox Church.
"I pray that with the new archbishop, the relationship will continue," he said.
Local Protestant clergy also expressed their appreciation of the cardinal's leadership.
"It's watching him dealing with people that was deeply impactful to me," said Pastor Dennis Gill of Hope Community Church in Newburyport.
Pastor Gill described Cardinal O'Malley as "a friar and Franciscan at heart, who had a calling and mission to really care for people."
He said he was especially impressed with the cardinal's leadership during the clergy sexual abuse crisis, and how he met with survivors.
"I'm sad to see him leave, but we all have seasons in ministry, and the cardinal has done such an excellent job at dealing with such a difficult season in the life of the church, especially in Boston," he said.
"I think he's done a tremendous job," said the Rev. Dr. David Wright, executive director of BMA Tenpoint, an alliance of Black churches and community leaders in Greater Boston. "He's been accessible around the important issues. He's been available and vocal. When there was a need to stand up for certain social justice issues, he's been there."
For instance, Pastor Wright said, he and Cardinal O'Malley worked together to oppose the decriminalization of marijuana in Massachusetts. He said that he and BMA Tenpoint have had "a tremendous relationship with Cardinal O'Malley."
"While we certainly will miss him, we appreciate that he served his post for a long time, through a very difficult time, and he probably could use a rest," he said.
Dr. Abdul Cader Asmal of Needham, a representative of Boston's Muslim community, remembered Cardinal O'Malley as "a man that was easy to approach."
He said he appreciated the cardinal reaching out to Boston's Muslims, and treating the issues they faced with compassion and understanding.
"We are impressed by the fact that he reached out to members of a community that is often misunderstood and not portrayed in a positive light," he said. "He tried to get a better understanding of what we were about."
Jeremy Burton, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston, said that under Cardinal O'Malley, the relationship between Catholics and Jews in Boston has been "strong and warm and multilevel."
"It's been a period of true collaboration and warmth between the archdiocese and many Jewish communities here in Boston," he said.
Burton said that he has worked with the archdiocese many times on issues of "shared values," including opposition to antisemitism. In 2021, when Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was stabbed nine times outside a Jewish school in Brighton, Cardinal O'Malley was "one of the first to reach out and offer his support to the Jewish community, publicly, in a time of very palpable fear and anxiety."
In early 2023, Burton said, Cardinal O'Malley reached out with "deep concern" about rising antisemitism, and wanted to meet with several Jewish organizations. In May of that year, the cardinal joined Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Robert Kraft at a press conference at TD Garden to announce "Face Jewish Hate," a campaign against antisemitism.
"That didn't come out of nowhere," Burton said. "That came out of a prior relationship. That came out of years of interaction between him and Jewish leaders."
On Oct. 7, 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel, the cardinal, who was in Rome, reached out to acknowledge "the pain that the Jewish community was feeling."
The archdiocese and Jewish communities have also worked together on various social issues, such as helping immigrants facing social and legal challenges and ensuring that houses of worship remained open during the pandemic.
"He's been an amazing spiritual leader and partner in his community," Burton said. "He has certainly well earned the respect of so many in our city, including his partners and the church's partners in the Jewish community. I'm just wishing him very much love and wellness in the next phase of his journey through life."