By Kate Quiñones
Editorial staff – Monday, August 12, 2024, 6:07 a.m.
In an interview with EWTN News In Depth, the appointed Archbishop of Boston, Richard Henning, emphasized his devotion to the faithful in the new diocese: “My mission will be the people on the ground.”
The call from the Apostolic Nuncio with the news of his appointment surprised him, said Henning. The 59-year-old has been Bishop of the Diocese of Providence since May 1, 2023, and was previously Coadjutor Bishop there since November 2022. The Archdiocese of Boston, home to over 1.8 million Catholics, is one of the largest in the United States. Henning recalled that the call came on an already special day – he was preparing to receive a catechumen into the church.
“The nuncio called as I was returning to my room. You know that expression from the movies: ‘You’d better sit down.’ That was the first time in my life that I understood what that meant,” he said. “I really had to sit down. I was so surprised – after only a year as diocesan bishop, I never expected a call like that,” Henning added.
Catherine Hadro, host of “EWTN News In Depth,” asked Henning how he would describe himself. She noted that many people tend to quickly categorize bishops as conservative or liberal.
“Well, what I said at the press conference was, ‘I am a sinner in need of grace,'” he replied with a smile. “I must confess that I personally reject such categories. I believe they do not really correspond to the depth and breadth of the life and work of the Church in the culture,” he continued.
“There is a tendency to see only the surface, the social or political aspects of a person’s life or of society itself. It seems to me that God requires more of us, and the tradition of the Church is so much richer,” he explained. “It doesn’t matter which faction people think they belong to. I am to be a pastor – a shepherd – for all of them,” Henning stressed.
He does not identify with any of the categories, as his “first identity is that of a disciple of Jesus Christ.” This naturally affects how he engages in the world. “I am not suggesting that we isolate ourselves from the world. We need to engage in society,” he said. “But I think we must always try to approach that engagement from a gospel perspective. That means always looking beyond the surface and going deeper.”
Henning was born in Rockville Centre, New York in 1964. The oldest of five children, he was raised in a Catholic family. A native of Long Island, he maintains his love of the water, sailing, boating and kayaking. He studied history at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, and later attended the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York. He was ordained in 1992. Henning is fluent in Spanish and Italian, can read French, Hebrew and Greek, and is currently learning Portuguese. He earned a licentiate in biblical theology from the Catholic University of America and a doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He succeeds Cardinal Sean O’Malley, whose tenure Henning says he looks back on “with awe.” Of his predecessor, Henning said: “I have admired him for many years.”
O’Malley, the longtime Archbishop of Boston, is retiring at age 80 – five years after the age at which prelates typically submit their resignations to the Holy See.
The cardinal is known for his commitment to dealing with sexual abuse and has headed the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors since 2014. “I admire his qualities of fidelity, his biblical preaching, his humility and his devotion to the Holy Father and the Church,” said Henning. “I will try to follow his example, but I come with the desire to dedicate myself entirely to this new ministry.”
“I know Boston is a large archdiocese and therefore considered important,” he added. “But I think my mission will be to the local people, and that will be my focus from the beginning and hopefully remain so.”
Watch the full interview on EWTN News in Depth here:
Translated and edited from the original from Catholic News Agency (CNA), the English-language partner agency of CNA Deutsch.
Kate Quiñones is a staff writer for the Catholic News Agency and a fellow of the College FixShe has worked for the Wall Street Journal, Denver Catholic Register and CatholicVote and is a graduate of Hillsdale College. She lives in Colorado with her husband.
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