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New Boston archbishop known for dealing with crisesAbuse victims' attorney: O'Malley 'is a man who really cares'
(CNN) -- The next archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, described himself as "shell shocked" by his appointment Tuesday and said he hoped to "become an instrument of peace and reconciliation" in the archdiocese racked by priest abuse scandals. "I feel acutely aware of my own deficiencies in the face of the task at hand, and I ask for everyone's prayers and collaboration as I embark on this ministry," Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley said after his appointment was announced by the Vatican. To the few who really know him, the 59-year-old O'Malley fits the profile of a Franciscan priest, with his sandals, beard, and simple, hooded brown robe tied with a rope knotted three times -- a reminder of his order's vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. "Well, if people don't know a lot about him there's a reason for it: it's because he's not one that has been a self-promoter," said Ray Flynn, former Boston mayor and former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. "He's somebody who is very humble and very private in that respect." O'Malley was born in Lakewood, Ohio, and in 1965 joined the Capuchin Order, dedicated to following the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi. He became a priest in 1970, starting his career in the Washington diocese. Besides English, he is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French. O'Malley will replace Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in December amid criticism of his handling of charges that priests sexually abused children and allegations of cover-ups. "I do ask for forgiveness for these horrendous sins and crimes that have been committed," O'Malley said. "The whole church feels ashamed and pained." He said he will attempt to bring "reconciliation" to Boston's Catholics who are hurt and angered by the sex abuse scandal, and will make the safety of children a "paramount goal." "The entire church feels the pain of this scandal and longs for relief for the families and the communities that have been so shaken by these sad events and by the mishandling of this situation by the church's officials," O'Malley said. "The devastating effects of sexual exploitation of minors by members of the clergy have wounded us all, beginning with the victims themselves and their families who suffer the poisonous aftermath of abuse." History of dealing with scandalsThe cleric has a reputation for dealing head-on with crises in the Catholic Church. He is credited with cleaning up two dioceses scarred by abusive clergy. In Fall River, Massachusetts, where he was bishop from 1992-2002, he enacted new policies against sexual abuse after the Rev. John Porter pleaded guilty to molesting 28 children years before O'Malley's tenure. O'Malley worked closely with Porter's victims, many of whom were represented by attorney Eric MacLeish. "[O'Malley] is a man who really cares, who really got it," MacLeish said. "There had never been a case involving 100 victims against a Roman Catholic priest, but he did it in a way they felt at the end that they got some measure of justice." O'Malley's ability to deal with the problem was tested again last year. He was named bishop of Palm Beach, Florida, when the two previous bishops were asked to resign after acknowledging sexual misconduct. Like in Fall River, O'Malley earned the respect of many in the community. "It was not a calm situation. And I think since he's been here, it has calmed down," said Philip Lewis, a former state senator from West Palm. But members of one victims' rights group say they're unsure O'Malley's low-key style will work in a place like Boston, the epicenter of the scandal. "I don't want to get survivors' hopes up too high. But personally, I'm optimistic, because everything I've heard has been positive," said William Gately of Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests. O'Malley's new archdiocese is a community of 2.1 million Catholics, compared to the Palm Beach diocese's 250,000 members. His replacement in Palm Beach is Bishop Gerald Barbarito, bishop of Ogdensburg, New York, according to the Vatican. CNN correspondent Jason Carroll contributed to this report.
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