Pope Leo replaces New York’s Cardinal Dolan in shake-up of US church
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Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois as his successor, the Vatican announced on Thursday.
Dolan, a prominent figure in the conservative wing of the US Catholic Church, stepped down after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. His replacement, 58-year-old Hicks, is a relatively low-profile bishop, ending months of speculation over who Leo would choose to lead one of the Church’s most influential archdioceses.
The decision marks the most significant episcopal appointment made by the first US-born pope since his election in May and is widely seen as signalling a shift in tone within the American Church. Dolan was regarded as close to US President Donald Trump, while Hicks is known for positions that align more closely with Leo’s emphasis on social justice and human rights.
Hicks has publicly expressed solidarity with migrants, standing in contrast to Trump’s hardline immigration policies. His background mirrors that of the pope in several respects: he spent five years in ministry in El Salvador, while Leo served for two decades in Peru. Hicks also began his priesthood in 1994 in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago, the city of the pope’s birth.
