Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, to succeed retiring Timothy Cardinal Dolan as archbishop of New York.
Dolan was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and led the archdiocese for 16 years. The Vatican said Thursday morning that Pope Leo had officially accepted his resignation.
Dolan and Hicks are scheduled to hold a news conference at 8:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. You can watch their remarks live on CBS News New York.
About Bishop Hicks
Pope Leo is from Illinois, and he has tapped a fellow Illinois native to lead the archdiocese of New York.
Hicks, 58, and Pope Leo have much in common. They were both born and raised in suburban Chicago, with Hicks being born in Harvey and raised in South Holland. Both men also speak fluent Spanish after spending years ministering to the poor in South America and Central America.
Archdiocese of Joliet, Illinois
Hicks graduated from seminary in 1985 and went on to study philosophy at Loyola University Chicago before getting his master’s degree in divinity at the University of St. Mary of the Lake. He was ordained in 1994.
In 2005, Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador, where he served for five years as regional director of an organization dedicated to caring for thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.
In 2020, Hicks was named as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.
Cardinal Dolan submitted his resignation earlier this year
Dolan turned 75 in February, and was required to submit his resignation to the Vatican. At the time, Dolan estimated he would remain in his post for about six to eight months while the Holy See appointed his successor.
Popes sometimes allow bishops to remain in their post for months or even years after they submit their resignation. By replacing Dolan before his 76th birthday, Pope Leo is exercising his prerogative to shape the leadership of a key archdiocese with his preferred candidate.
Gregorio Borgia / AP 
Dolan has served as archbishop of New York since 2009, leading approximately 2.8 million Catholics. For the last 16 years, Cardinal Dolan has been a prominent, charismatic figure and a leading voice for Catholicism in the United States. He led the Archdiocese through the COVID pandemic and numerous difficult decisions, including selling assets to fund a settlement for victims of priest sex abuse, closure of many Catholic schools, and realignment of parishes which resulted in the closure of some churches.
Cardinal Dolan lauded by leader of Catholic League
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, said Dolan has been a compassionate defender of church teaching and a warmhearted leader, adding he wished the Pope would keep Dolan in the role a little longer.
“To fill the shoes of Cardinal Dolan, good luck to the new archbishop of New York,” Donohue said. “Cardinal Dolan … is certainly loved by New Yorkers, and I don’t mean just by Catholics. I mean by non-Catholics as well. He’s one of the most courageous and honest priests I’ve ever met in my life.”
Dolan has said, once his resignation is accepted, he’ll continue to serve the church as part of his vow of obedience.
“I find obedience liberating. People say, ‘What are you going to do?’ I don’t really know. It ain’t my decision. You just say, ‘Jesus, I trust in thee. And, Holy Father, I trust in you,'” Dolan said at the time.
After he retires, Dolan will remain a Cardinal and can vote in a conclave until he turns 80.
New Yorkers react to Cardinal Dolan’s departure
Parishioners in New York City reacted Wednesday night to the idea of a future without Dolan as Archbishop of New York.
“When he gives a sermon, you feel like he’s speaking to you personally,” Brooklyn resident Theresa Start said. “He’s wonderful. I’ll miss him.”
“I think he’s a great guy, and he’s down to earth, very friendly,” tourist Bill Moran said.
“We love him, and we wish him the best,” Staten Island resident Don Goller said.
“I’m looking forward toward a new chapter,” Bronx resident Lana German said.
“Maybe get some fresh ideas and another person in that will hopefully bring people together,” Upper Manhattan resident Migdalia Quinones said.
Meanwhile, attorneys representing more than 75 alleged child sex abuse survivors who filed claims against the Archdiocese released a statement, saying, in part:
“Cardinal Dolan’s resignation will not stop our pursuit of answers and requests to depose him, nor will we allow a game of diocesan musical chairs to stand in the way of justice for survivors. True accountability requires disclosure, cooperation, and justice, not a quiet exit and attempts to pass the buck to the next Cardinal. As this chapter closes on the Archdiocese of New York, we call on the next Cardinal to abandon the ADNY’s campaign of secrecy and work with survivors to ensure they receive justice for the crimes committed against them and that this appalling abuse never happens again.”
