Overview
- Pope Leo XIV accepted Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation and appointed Bishop Ronald A. Hicks, with installation set for Feb. 6, 2026, and Dolan remaining as apostolic administrator until then.
- Hicks, 58, has led the Joliet, Illinois, diocese since 2020 after serving as Chicago’s vicar general and auxiliary bishop, and he spent five years directing a church-run orphanage program in El Salvador.
- The Archdiocese of New York is processing more than 1,300 clergy abuse claims and targeting roughly $300 million for settlements, prompting layoffs, a 10% budget cut, and major property sales.
- Reporters and church analysts describe the choice as an early marker of Pope Leo’s priorities, highlighting migrant solidarity and a lower political profile; Hicks recently endorsed a USCCB statement criticizing immigration crackdowns.
- The Vatican and the archdiocese announced the decision at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, noting the archdiocese serves about 2.5–2.8 million Catholics and that the apostolic nuncio will preside at the installation.