BOSTON — Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Seán O’Malley as archbishop of Boston on Monday and named the bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, Richard Henning, to replace him as leader of one of the most important Catholic archdioceses in the United States.

The Vatican announcement didn’t mention O’Malley’s other main role as the pope’s main adviser on fighting clergy sexual abuse as head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, suggesting that he would remain in that capacity until a new commission leader is selected.

In 2003, Pope John Paul II tapped O’Malley to take over in Boston at the height of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that exploded there after an investigation by The Boston Globe newspaper. Revelations of years of abuse and coverups by the church led to the downfall of then-archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace in December 2002.

“When I arrived, it was a time of great crisis and of great pain because of the terrible scourge of sexual abuse,” O’Malley told a news conference as he reflected on all changes the church has seen during his 40 years as a bishop. “But despite all the challenges we’ve had, I’m full of hope.”

At 80, O’Malley is five years beyond the normal retirement age for bishops. His 59-year-old successor, Henning, from Rockville Centre, New York, has been bishop of Providence since last year.

In terms of clergy abuse, the torch in Boston is being passed from a man whose contemporaries were the accused to one whose peers were the victims.

“When these crimes and sins were committed, I was also a child. I’m grateful to God that I was not affected by it personally, but people in my generation were,” Henning said at the news conference. “Those survivors, they deserve a listening heart. In some ways, they have as much to proclaim to us about the gospel as we do to them.”

O’Malley called the arrival of a new archbishop “a time of renewal and hope” and described Henning as “someone who transmits hope to restless hearts.”

The Archdiocese of Boston is the fourth-largest in the U.S., serving more than 1.8 million Roman Catholics. It had operating expenses of more than $350 million in fiscal 2023, and its schools serve more than 46,000 students.

O’Malley will be remembered for his advocacy and support for families experiencing homelessness and victims of human trafficking, as well as his leadership in the fight against climate change, Gov. Maura Healey said. “I greatly admire his deep faith and his empathy and compassion for all.”

Henning said he was “deeply shocked and surprised” that he was chosen.

“I am very well aware that I have a lot to learn,” he said. “My first job, really, is just to be listener.”

O’Malley advised Francis not only on child-protection issues but also helped design the reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.