Pope Leo XIV on Thursday (December 18) appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as the next Archbishop of New York, marking his most significant US appointment since becoming the first American pope and signalling a major shift in the leadership of the US Catholic Church.
Hicks, 58, will succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a leading conservative voice in the American hierarchy who has led the New York archdiocese since 2009.
The Vatican said Dolan, who turned 75 earlier this year, had offered his resignation in line with Church law. He will remain as temporary leader until Hicks is installed on February 6.
The appointment places a relatively low-profile cleric in charge of one of the country’s most influential Catholic institutions at a sensitive moment, as the Church navigates strained relations with the Trump administration over immigration policy.
A major US appointment
The Archdiocese of New York serves about 2.8 million Catholics across Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and seven surrounding counties, spanning 296 parishes along with hundreds of schools, hospitals and social service institutions.
Leo’s decision to replace Dolan comes as the archdiocese struggles to raise more than $300 million to settle claims from survivors of clerical abuse. The archdiocese has entered mediation with around 1,300 alleged survivors and has already announced a 10% cut to its operating budget, staff layoffs and the sale of Church properties to fund expected payouts.
Hicks’ background and views
Hicks has led the Diocese of Joliet since 2020, serving roughly 520,000 Catholics in seven Illinois counties. He previously worked closely with Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, first as vicar general and later as an auxiliary bishop.
His background mirrors that of Pope Leo in several ways. Both grew up in south Chicago suburbs and spent years as missionaries in Latin America. While Leo spent two decades in Peru, Hicks worked for five years in El Salvador, running a church-backed orphanage programme operating across nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.
In November, Hicks endorsed a US bishops’ statement condemning President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, calling for “compassion and justice” toward migrants. However, in an October pastoral letter to Catholics in Joliet, he largely avoided political issues, urging the faithful to focus on prayer and evangelisation.
A shift from Dolan
Dolan, who was elevated to cardinal in 2012 after being named archbishop of New York is widely seen as one of the most prominent conservatives among US bishops. He served as president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2010 to 2013 and delivered an invocation at Trump’s second inauguration, later praising right-wing activist Charlie Kirk as a “modern-day St. Paul.”
Although Dolan was considered a favourite of Trump to succeed Pope Francis, he also criticised the president for sharing an AI-generated image depicting Trump dressed as a pope ahead of the conclave that elected Leo.
