Cardinal O’Malley continues to inspire through action and humility

When I visited a Catholic church in Israel, the priest was wearing a robe that I had seen somewhere before – on Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, the recently retired archbishop of Boston. Both wore open sandals and brown robes tied at the waist with a belt – a rope tied in three knots, symbolizing poverty, chastity and obedience – the three rules of the Franciscan order. O’Malley’s robe was the same as any Franciscan in the world would wear.

I met the cardinal while working on a project to help citizens returning from incarceration, which included discussions with numerous religious leaders in Boston. I have already met with white mainline Protestant and evangelical leaders, black church leaders, and approximately 30 Department of Corrections chaplains from various religious denominations.

In preparation for my meeting with the cardinal, I reviewed the protocols and practiced saying “Your Eminence.” After all this, I don’t think it mattered to him. I could have simply said, “Nice to meet you, Sean.” However, he is one of the most powerful and influential men in Boston. There is no religious, business or political leader who would not answer the cardinal’s call.

As archbishop, O’Malley oversaw a massive corporation with more than 3,500 employees in 400 locations, millions of dollars in real estate and programs such as Catholic Charities. He is well connected to some of the richest and most powerful Catholics in Massachusetts and can raise millions of dollars with a phone call or email. The Atlantic magazine called him Pope Francis’ best friend. O’Malley sits on the Pope’s advisory cabinet and communicates regularly with him, giving the cardinal global influence.

I’ve visited some impressive offices over the years, including philanthropist Jack Connors’ and several at the State House. My meeting with the cardinal took place in a small living room, not in his office or conference room. This gave the meeting a more personal touch.

He mentioned some diplomatic work he did for the Pope, not just for fun, but because it was relevant to our conversation about Cuba. It then occurred to me that the cardinal’s activities were international in scope, and his influence was even greater than I had imagined. I told him about my work with Mother Teresa, with someone he also knew, and he told the following story:

Mother Teresa was flying to Cuba in a small plane, and the pilot asked for permission to land in advance because it was not a pre-approved flight. The control tower was shocked that Mother Teresa was about to land and contacted Fidel Castro. Castro dropped what he was doing and went to the airport to meet her. When Castro saw her, he asked, “What brings you to Cuba?” She said, “To help the poor.” Castro replied that he was sorry to tell her that she had come so far in vain, because there were no poor people in Cuba. She replied, “Well, I came to help the elderly.” Castro replied, “You can do it because we have elderly people here.”

Given my time spent with Mother Teresa, this story seemed true. She was cognizant enough to know that Cuba was not going to deny her small plane permission to land. She arrived without a large retinue. The resemblance to O’Malley struck me. When I worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, she was every bit the nun you see on television, but she also presided over a worldwide organization with thousands of employees and $150 million (in 1986 dollars) in annual donations. She regularly met with world leaders. Given Mother Teresa’s worldwide fame, you wouldn’t think she would still be ministering to the poor every day at 80 years old, but there she was.

The way people choose to introduce themselves says a lot about them. The Cardinal never mentioned his academic degrees (he has a doctorate), awards or achievements. Rather, he was talking about service. I could tell he loved being a priest and doing missionary work around the world. He spoke lovingly of his work, and from time to time I hear of his service to the poor, prisoners, and returning citizens. He took the time to learn eight languages, including Haitian Creole, so he could serve people on their terms.

When I asked O’Malley about selling the beautiful mansion on the Boston College campus where his predecessors lived and moving to the ‘hood, he gave an answer I didn’t expect. He did not say that the sale of the property was necessary to achieve justice and pay the archdiocese $85 million in compensation to victims of sexual abuse. Rather, he said that he belonged to his brothers. This speaks to the love and fellowship he experiences with the other priests at the South End rectory. To make sure he didn’t miss the point, I repeated my comment about him moving into the neighborhood, he responded that it was no longer a neighborhood due to gentrification.

I recognized a pattern. Pope Francis, despite being one of the most powerful people in the world, chose rather modest accommodation in the Vatican. Instead of moving into the papal apartments after his election, the pope chose to live in a two-room residence at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guest house where visiting clergy are received. Likewise, he lived in an apartment rather than in the archbishop’s palace during his tenure as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

I spent several days thinking about our meeting and how the cardinal, while an archbishop, had risen to one of the highest positions in the Catholic Church and yet seemed quite humble. He was aware of his influence, so he could use it for good. But it didn’t seem to occur to him. He followed the example of Jesus, who had miraculous powers, was well aware of his role in the Holy Trinity, and yet washed the feet of his disciples on Maundy Thursday.

This realization inspired me to become more aware of my power and agency, and how I use it.

Similarities between Pope Francis, Mother Teresa and Cardinal O’Malley include the ability to balance power and humility, as well as being comfortable in one’s own skin. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, they are an example to us all.

I look forward to having coffee with the Cardinal when he retires and hearing more of his stories.

Ed Gaskin is the executive director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets and founder of Sunday Celebrations.