Cardinal Seán O’Malley will continue serving as the ninth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boston after Pope Francis rejected the cardinal’s letter of resignation, the Boston Globe reports.
Giving in his letter of resignation to the pope was a formality. All bishops are mandated by the church to submit a letter of resignation to the pope after their 75th birthday. It is commonplace for bishops to continue serving after they turn 75.
Because of Cardinal Seán's schedule, he was able to give the letter of resignation directly to the pope last week at the Vatican.
“The pope looked at him and said, ‘I think we’ll keep you there for a few more years,’” a spokesman told the Globe. “The cardinal is really quite touched by the pope’s confidence in him, and his support.”
Cardinal Seán doesn’t plan on stepping down in the near future.
