A MAN, A CHRISTIAN, A PASTOR WITH AUTHORITY

By: Seán Patrick O’Malley

“The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the Pharisees.” (Mk 1:22). Like this passage, there are several testimonies in the New Testament about the admiration that Jesus of Nazareth inspired in his time and with his people, because he lived, acted, and taught with authority, unlike the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who – hypocritically – “do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3).

Hypocrisy is the greatest cause of today’s evils and authority, the greatest urgency of humanity in our time. We have a pressing need for men and women who, in all stages of life and all social instances, live with authority, with coherence between deeds and words. We need men and women who do what they say, do what they command, live what they believe, and practice what they preach.

Within these lines, I will tell you about an authentic disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, a man of authority and my friend, the current Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, Cardinal O’Malley, OFM Cap. whose episcopal motto on his coat of arms reads: “Quod cumque dixerit facite” which, translated into English, means: “Whatever you say, do it!”

On June 29, 1944, Seán Patrick O’Malley was born in Ohio in the United States. This year, he turns eighty, and according to ecclesiastical legislation - like all cardinals who have reached this age, Cardinal O’Malley gives up the right to vote in the conclave to elect the next pope, successor to Francis.

This is a very important date in the life and work of Seán O’Malley and a special occasion to reflect on and give thanks for his legacy, to pay tribute to this great human being and authentic Christian, a faithful Catholic, a pastor for all hours, a friar, priest, bishop, archbishop, and cardinal of the Church.

I write these lines with great affection and devotion, with admiration, pride, and gratitude for the friendship with which Cardinal O’Malley has honored and distinguished me for half a century. This is a tribute to the man, this model of a human being, the Christian and pastor, the example of a disciple of Christ, the illustrious intellectual model of a citizen of the world, and the man of the Church.

The intense life and the vast work and legacy of Seán O’Malley are light on the road, a beacon and guide to follow in a world in need of deeply and truly “human” beings, in a society that demands the witness of authentic followers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in a Church that cries out for the life and presence of good shepherds following the example of the Good Shepherd.

Some biographical milestones...

1. He attended elementary school at St. Gabriel and Sacred Heart and high school at St. Fidelis, a seminary run by the Capuchin friars in Butler, Pennsylvania.
2. He studied for the priesthood at St. Fidelis Seminary and at Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.
3. On July 14, 1965, he professed in the Capuchin Order, a religious order dedicated to following the life and work of St. Francis of Assisi.
4. On August 29, 1970, he was ordained as a priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.
5. He pursued a master’s degree in religious education and a doctorate in Spanish and Portuguese literature, both at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he also taught from 1969 to 1973.
6. He also studied Greek, German, Hebrew, and theater.
7. On May 30, 1984, Pope John Paul II appointed him coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
8. On August 2, 1984, he was ordained as a bishop at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Thomas.
9. On October 16, 1985, he became the diocesan bishop of that Caribbean diocese.
10. On June 16, 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of Fall River.
11. On September 3, 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida.
12. On July 1, 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Boston.
13. On March 24, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to cardinal.

Ministerial exercise, pastoral positions...

A look at the enormous number of pastoral positions, as well as at the presence of Cardinal O’Malley on so many fronts and such diverse topics, shows his extraordinary capacity for work, the unconditional dedication of his life to the causes of the Gospel, and his leading role in the work of the Church and society in recent decades:

1. Episcopal Vicar for the Hispanic, Portuguese, and Haitian communities, and Executive Director of the Office of Social Ministry of the Archdiocese of Washington.
2. Member of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in the Roman Curia.
3. He participated in the conclave – reportedly as a papabile – in which Pope Francis was elected .
4. He is the first cardinal to have a personal blog.
5. Member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
6. Member of the Board of Trustees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In it, he is also a member of the Commissions for Pro-Life, Missions, Vocations, Hispanic Affairs, Migration, the Church in Africa, and the Church in Latin America.
7. Apostolic Visitor of the Archdiocese of Dublin.
8. President of the Papal Foundation.
9. Member of the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops.
10. Apostolic Visitor of several seminaries in Central America and the Caribbean.
11. Member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services.
12. Member of the Association for the Development of the Catholic University of Portugal.
13. Member of the board of directors of his alma mater, the Catholic University of America.
14. Doctor “honoris causa” in theology from the Pontifical University of Salamanca.
15. Lastly, and perhaps the most significant role in recent years, Cardinal O'Malley is one of the eight cardinals chosen by Pope Francis to assist him in governing the Church and in reforming the Roman Curia. This position, like all his ministerial and pastoral duties, has been carried out diligently, with a humble spirit of service, attending all the meetings required by this function, with sacrifice and loyalty, with generous dedication, devotion, obedience, and availability to the Pope and the Church, with complete silence and prudence.

Healing wounds...

The salvation of God in Jesus of Nazareth, his messiahship, was accredited and recorded in writing by the first Christians in the New Testament through his works (John 10:38), especially through his healings of the sick of various ailments. Jesus himself sends the first disciples to carry out his own mission in the world: curing, healing, and saving (Mt 10:8).

The tragedy that the sex scandals revealed by the media in recent decades within the Catholic Church has positioned Cardinal O’Malley in a decisive role – as a disciple of Christ and pastor of the Church – to heal the victims of abuse by ordained ministers.

This was his task as bishop of Fall River, then as bishop of Palm Beach, and later as Archbishop of Boston, following the terrible and very notorious scandals in each of these three dioceses. These were three pastoral positions in which the Catholic Church entrusted Seán Patrick O’Malley, called him, and put him in charge to heal, but – at the same time – to serve as the face and work of good shepherds, of those who, like him – with authority – give their lives for the sheep.

This undertaking has been very painful for Seán, requiring much personal and ministerial sacrifice, humiliation and forgiveness, healing and reconciliation, reparations for the victims, and difficult decisions for the respective Churches, which subsequently, earned him his appointment as President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Catholic among immigrants …

In English, the Greek word “catholic” means “universal.” Another of Seán P. O’Malley’s traits, amidst the facets of the man, the Christian, and the good shepherd, is his “catholicity.” By this – and literally – we refer to his ability to serve as a brother to all and a citizen of the world through his ecumenical mind, heart, and arms, through his ministry, where everyone has a place. He is always available “universally” to all, following the example of Jesus, especially to the poorest, in his faithful following of the “poverello” of Assisi. The poorest are represented in the United States by immigrants and, among them, especially Hispanics, Latinos.

In 1973, Seán began serving as Executive Director of the Hispanic Catholic Center in the Archdiocese of Washington. It was during these early days of his priesthood that today’s Cardinal O’Malley developed a strong commitment to issues of social justice and care for new immigrants and when, during these tasks of Hispanic Ministry, I had the privilege of meeting him and enjoying – ever since – his deep humanity, authenticity as a Christian, incomparable joy, enormous erudition, a unique sense of humor, and his great sense of fidelity and loyalty to friends. Ours has been a fruitful friendship, always animated by the causes of the Hispanic community, both in the Catholic Church and in American society.

Other life and personality traits...

There are many talents and virtuous traits that accompany the life and personality of Seán P. O’Malley. The brevity of these lines requires me to focus on, in addition to everything above, his profound Christian faith and devotion, especially in the Eucharistic celebration, his genuine love for the humble, his evangelical compassion for the poorest and most “discarded” in our society, his admiration and great enlightenment for a culture of universality, and, specifically, for Hispanic culture and its best expressions and representatives in literature and art.

His humility is constantly expressed in the use of the Capuchin habit, even at major cardinal and Vatican events, his easy closeness and human warmth, his love and loyalty for the Pope, and his capacity for open, sincere, and fraternal dialogue. His conciliatory capacity has been proven, even in negotiations and international conflict scenarios, such as Haiti, El Salvador, Cuba, Nicaragua, etc.

Soon, Cardinal O’Malley will become an archbishop emeritus of Boston with his lifelong legacy of uninterrupted service to the Church.

Even after this long life and fruitful priestly journey, Seán’s life and work will continue to challenge us to be better human beings and authentic Christians, men and women in authority.

Dear friend, all of us who have had the good fortune to cross your path as friends and recipients of your gifts and charisms, thank God for your life and your presence in ours.

Seán: Ad multos annos! May God, as He has through today, continue to care for and bless this exalted friend, this great man, and this incomparable Christian and pastor who does what he says and lives what he preaches, forever.