The ceremony for the inauguration of Archbishop Richard Henning has begun

Henning takes the helm from Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who is retiring after serving 21 challenging years as archbishop of the country's fourth-largest archdiocese. Much of his tenure was marked by the fallout from the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

As the procession began, Henning knocked three times on the cathedral doors and was greeted by O'Malley, who hugged Henning.

Guests included Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, five other cardinals, five archbishops, more than 50 bishops and nearly 500 priests, religious, deacons, seminarians and laypeople.

Before Henning officially became archbishop, Pierre read an English translation of Pope Francis' papal bull or decree naming him archbishop. Henning then showed the bull to the archdiocesan advisory board, who examined it to ensure that the papal seal was authentic. After the acceptance, Henning presented the bull to the entire assembly.

At that moment, 60-year-old Henning was led to the “cathedra,” the archbishop’s seat, and officially assumed his role as the congregation applauded.

In his first remarks as Archbishop of Boston, Henning sparked laughter in the congregation when he first joked that the most common question he was asked was whether he was or would become a Red Sox fan (he did not answer specifically). .

He then spoke about his faith, which led to a reflection on the church's years-long failure to protect sexually abused children. He praised the courage of the survivors who came forward with their stories.

“This Boston church is, in every sense of the word, a wounded church because it has failed to act with compassion and healing,” Henning said. “Sins against the innocent. We have seen passionate efforts to protect the vulnerable over these decades, but we still feel the weight of these wounds.

“And we owe a great debt of gratitude to the victims and survivors who tell their stories, because through their courage and through the prophetic truth they shared with us, they helped protect new generations,” he continued. “And in their lives of faith, in their capacity for compassion and solidarity in charity, they become for us hope in the midst of the world, a light in the darkness.”

Henning inherits an archdiocese that is in much better shape than O'Malley was in 2003. At the time, the archdiocese was severely crippled financially and spiritually by the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Finances were poor, parishioners were outraged by the threat of church closure, and both the number of worshipers and the number of Catholic schools declined.

Now the archdiocese is in the black: parishes have been consolidated and regrouped, school enrollment appears to have stabilized and 11 priests were ordained this year, the second highest number since 1997.

Henning's parents, Richard and Maureen, were also in attendance, as were Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and faith, government, business and parish leaders from across the archdiocese. Henning thanked Wu and the Boston Police Department for their help with the day's events.

Towards the end of the mass, Henning thanked his family and friends who “have shaped and guided me throughout my life.” He greeted his parents, who were sitting in the front row, and the congregation stood and applauded them.

“I thank you for that,” he told the audience. “They deserve it, they are the best people.”

He also recognized O'Malley and his years of leadership in Boston.

“The quality of your service has always been a truly humble gift of yourself for the benefit of others,” Henning said. “It was compassionate, it was gentle, and it was truly biblical and authentic in faith… They are literally a foundation that we will continue to build upon.”

In his two decades as archbishop, O'Malley has been credited with opening and maintaining a dialogue with abuse victims, who have received more than $175 million in compensation since 2002, according to the archdiocese.

But the cardinal has also been criticized for his handling of the fallout from the priestly sex abuse scandal, particularly in 2011 when he released the names of archdiocese clergy accused of abuse. Although 159 clergy were named, the names of 91 additional clergy were omitted from the list.

As the procession gathered outside the cathedral on Thursday, a group of people from the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) protested nearby.

Claude LeBeouf, 71, held a sign that read, “Sexual abuse of children is spiritual murder.” LeBeouf said he was sexually abused by the late Rev. James Porter, who was convicted of molesting more than two dozen children. He said he believed Henning helped cover up sexual abuse by priests.

“He may not be an abuser, but he was complicit in covering up the abuse,” LeBeouf said.

Another protester, Dr. Robert Hoatson, a former priest and sexual abuse survivor who co-founded the group Road to Recovery, said the Archdiocese of Boston needs to create an easier process for abuse victims to receive compensation. He pointed to the recent news that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles had agreed to pay $880 million to victims as an example for Boston to follow, but expressed skepticism that Henning will be the change agent he hopes.

“Here comes another archbishop who is of the same ilk as Sean O'Malley and all the others who came before him,” Hoatson said.

In a pre-recorded interview that aired during a livestream of the procession, Henning said he was committed to protecting children from abuse.

“I hope it is encouraging when I say that this is a central commitment that I have made over many years in my life,” he said. “We work hard to ensure that the children entrusted to our care are safe and cared for and treated with the dignity God has given them. Like the whole Church, I definitely feel a sense of sadness that there were young people who did not have this protection and who suffered because of it.”

Henning, who was most recently bishop of Providence, was auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Center on Long Island, New York, when its bishop filed for bankruptcy four years ago. The filing sparked an ongoing legal battle involving 650 abuse survivors over compensation.

The case was sent to mediation in May after most survivors rejected a proposed $200 million settlement and the archdiocese sought to avert bankruptcy.

Henning defended the application to file for bankruptcy.

“It was truly the only decision that would have allowed the diocese to fulfill its obligations to survivors while continuing the mission of the church,” he said, adding that he played a limited role in the process.

Henning was asked at his introductory press conference in August how he would reach out to Catholics who had left the church because of the abuse scandal. “I will listen to their pain and their hurt,” he said.

Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who has represented hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse, including those abused by priests in Boston, said many victims “feel that the resignation of Cardinal O'Malley and the inauguration of Archbishop Henning will create a new level of unresponsiveness.”

“Archbishop Henning may say the right thing about clergy sexual abuse, but he will not implement meaningful programs to protect children from sexual abuse or to help victims in their attempts to heal,” Garabedian said in a statement. “In other words, Archbishop Henning will further distance the archdiocese from the crisis of clergy sexual abuse and make the crisis a forgotten thing of the past.”

Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected]. Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at [email protected]. Izzy Bryars can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @izzybryars.