Overview
- The Vatican confirmed acceptance of Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation and set Feb. 6, 2026 for Bishop Ronald Hicks’ installation, with Dolan remaining apostolic administrator until then.
- Hicks, 58, has led the Diocese of Joliet since 2020 after serving as auxiliary bishop and vicar general in Chicago under Cardinal Blase Cupich.
- He spent five years in El Salvador running a church-backed program for orphaned and abandoned children, and he shares South Side Chicago roots with Pope Leo.
- The Archdiocese of New York, serving about 2.8 million Catholics, is pursuing roughly $300 million to resolve about 1,300 clergy abuse claims through budget cuts, layoffs, and property sales.
- Analysts see the move as a shift from Dolan’s high-profile conservative approach to a lower-key, pro-migrant pastoral style aligned with the pope, citing Hicks’ support for a recent USCCB statement on immigration.