In a significant move for the Catholic Church in the United States, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks as the new Archbishop of New York. The announcement, made on Thursday 18 December 2025, sees the fellow Chicagoan take over from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who led one of the nation's most prominent archdioceses.
A Chicago Connection Shapes US Church Leadership
Bishop Ronald Aldon Hicks, currently serving the diocese of Joliet in Illinois, will now lead the New York archdiocese and its roughly 2.5 million Catholics. His appointment marks a pivotal shift, orchestrated by the first American pope, Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, who also hails from Chicago. The handover follows Cardinal Dolan's submission of his resignation in February, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
The Vatican often delays such transitions when unresolved issues like abuse litigation remain. Cardinal Dolan recently finalised a plan for a $300 million fund to compensate victims of sexual abuse who had sued the archdiocese, a move seen as clearing the path for this leadership change. Bishop Hicks's first major task will be overseeing the implementation of this settlement fund, financed through budget reductions and asset sales to address approximately 1,300 outstanding claims.
Shared Backgrounds and Progressive Alignments
The new archbishop, aged 58, shares a remarkable background with Pope Leo. Both grew up in the Chicago area, with Hicks stating they "played in the same parks, went swimming in the same pools, like the same pizza places." More substantively, their pastoral visions align. Like the pope, who served as a missionary in Peru, Hicks spent five years in El Salvador leading a church-run orphanage programme.
Hicks is viewed as a Leo-style bishop, expected to continue the pontiff's and the US hierarchy's willingness to challenge political authorities on social issues. In November 2025, Hicks endorsed a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops message condemning the Trump administration's immigration raids, affirming "solidarity with all our brothers and sisters." This stance will be crucial in New York, a key flashpoint for immigration policy.
Navigating a High-Profile Diocese and Its Legacy
Succeeding Cardinal Dolan, a towering conservative figure who headed the U.S. bishops conference from 2010-2013, represents a considerable shift. Dolan was known for his gregarious public profile and complex political ties. He hosted the annual Al Smith dinner, which Donald Trump attended in 2024, and was appointed to the president's Religious Liberty Commission. However, Dolan also demonstrated pastoral outreach, welcoming LGBTQ+ participation in New York's St. Patrick's Day parade.
Bishop Hicks brings relevant experience from the Joliet diocese, which, like much of the Illinois church, faced severe criticism in a 2023 state attorney general's report on clerical abuse. While the report acknowledged improved child protection policies under his leadership, it documented past failures. His appointment likely carries the endorsement of Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich, a progressive adviser to both Pope Francis and Pope Leo.
As the U.S. Catholic Church forges a new era under its first American pope, the installation of Bishop Ronald Hicks in New York stands as a defining moment, signalling both continuity in addressing past scandals and a renewed focus on social justice advocacy.
