Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien of
Baltimore as the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Archbishop O’Brien will move to the headquarters
of the Order in Rome, where he will be elevated to the rank of
cardinal.
“It has been a singular privilege to serve as Archbishop of Baltimore,” said Archbishop O’Brien at a media conference in Baltimore August 29. “It is with a heavy heart that I will be departing …I pray that I will carry out the will of God and that of (the Pope) in preserving the faith in the Holy Land.”
“It has been a singular privilege to serve as Archbishop of Baltimore,” said Archbishop O’Brien at a media conference in Baltimore August 29. “It is with a heavy heart that I will be departing …I pray that I will carry out the will of God and that of (the Pope) in preserving the faith in the Holy Land.”
Archbishop
O’Brien’s new post means that he will leave for Rome immediately, after a
four-year tenure as head of the Baltimore archdiocese.
In
accepting the new position, Archbishop O’Brien assumes responsibility
for the ancient lay Catholic Order whose goal is to promote and defend
Christianity in the Holy Land.
The organization currently
provides 75 percent of the annual income for the Latin Patriarchate of
Jerusalem, which cares for the church in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and
Cyprus.
The Order also funds 40 schools, hospitals and institutes of
higher education in the region, such as the University of Bethlehem. At
present, there are 18,000 members of the order worldwide.
“We
very much welcome the appointment of Archbishop O’Brien,” said Patrick
Powers, the Vice-Governor General of the Order who is based in
California, to CNA.
“At 72-years-old he’s relatively young and
will have the opportunity to serve the order for a long time and will
definitely have a chance to make his mark.”
Archbishop O’Brien
has already served as Grand Prior of the Order’s Mid-Atlantic
Lieutenancy of the United States, based in Washington, D.C., since 2010.
He is taking over leadership of the Order from his fellow American,
Cardinal John Patrick Foley. Cardinal Foley resigned in February because
of health problems.
“I would like to thank Cardinal Foley for
his excellent service as Grand Master,” said Archbishop O’Brien at the
Aug 29 press conference.
“He brought great joy and enthusiasm to
the position and accomplished much in his effective leadership of the
Order. I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the cardinal's
personal words of congratulations and support. Since learning of my
appointment I have spent some time with Cardinal Foley and I am sure I
will be turning to him from time to time for his continued good
counsel.”
In response, Cardinal Foley issued a statement today
citing Archbishop O’Brien’s “experience and splendid dedication as
priest and archbishop.”
He said the archbishop will be “an outstanding
leader” of the Order, and that he “could not be happier that he is my
successor.”
Archbishop O’Brien said he was unsure how long it will
be before his successor in Baltimore is named, but assured those
present at today’s media conference that the Vatican is well aware of
the importance of naming a new archbishop as soon as possible, given the
many critical programs underway in the archdiocese.
Until his successor
is named, Archbishop O’Brien said he will serve as apostolic
administrator of the archdiocese.
As Grand Master of the Knights
of Jerusalem, Archbishop O’Brien will reside in Vatican City and make
visits to the Holy Land and to the Order’s lieutenancies, which are
located throughout the world.
He is also likely to be appointed to one
or more senior posts within the Roman curia, the governing departments
of the Vatican.
During his tenure as the 15th archbishop of
the nation’s oldest Catholic diocese, Archbishop O’Brien has focused the
Church’s ministry in several key areas, including the promotion of
priestly vocations and care for the most vulnerable.
Since his
appointment to Baltimore in 2007, Archbishop O’Brien has ordained seven
new priests for the archdiocese while over 120 men have entered the
seminary. He has also received over 3,000 new Catholics into the Church.
Meanwhile,
his Archbishop’s Annual Appeal has generated more than $23 million for
parishes, schools and charitable programs, with another $7.5 million
being spent on tuition assistance for children in inner city Catholic
schools.
“While the thought of leaving Baltimore - which I have
come to think of as a permanent and welcoming home - saddens me, the
news underscores the fact that the Church is built and ordered on
Christ, alone,” said Archbishop O’Brien.