In a major move reshaping the leadership of the Catholic Church in the United States, Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan and appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks, a strong advocate for migrants, as his successor. The Vatican made the announcement on Thursday, 18 December 2025.
A New Direction for a Powerful Archdiocese
Archbishop Timothy Dolan stepped down after reaching the Church's mandatory retirement age of 75. He had led the New York archdiocese, one of the largest and most influential in the US, since 2009. His replacement ends months of speculation about who would fill this critical role. Dolan was widely seen as a theological conservative with close ties to former US President Donald Trump.
The new Archbishop of New York is 58-year-old Ronald Hicks from Illinois. This appointment is seen as the most significant made by Pope Leo since his election in May 2025 and indicates a desire for the Church to take a firmer stance on US policies, particularly concerning human rights and immigration.
Shared Vision with the Pope on Migrant Solidarity
Bishop Hicks shares a clear alignment with Pope Leo XIV on several fronts, most notably a commitment to migrant solidarity. This stands in contrast to the Trump administration's past deportation drives. In November 2025, Hicks endorsed a rare statement from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that heavily criticised the government's zero-tolerance immigration policies.
He said the statement "affirms our solidarity with all our brothers and sisters as it expresses our concerns, opposition, and hopes with clarity and conviction." Hicks emphasized that the Church's position is "grounded in the Church's enduring commitment to the Catholic social teaching of human dignity and a call for meaningful immigration reform."
In an interview with Vatican News following his appointment, Hicks expressed "a great affinity for (Pope Leo) and a lot of respect." The two share biographical similarities, including service in Latin America. Hicks spent five years in ministry in El Salvador, running a church-operated orphanage program across nine countries. Pope Leo spent two decades serving in Peru.
Interestingly, both men hail from Chicago. "I grew up in the suburb right next door to Pope Leo, about 14 blocks away from each other," Hicks revealed. He stated his desire to lead a Church that acts "not in a divisive way or tearing people apart, but looking for ways of unity and finding ways to cooperate with each other."
Inheriting Challenges: Abuse Scandals and Financial Fallout
The new archbishop will inherit significant challenges, including the ongoing fallout from the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. Just weeks before his resignation, Archbishop Dolan oversaw the creation of a $300 million compensation fund for victims of sexual abuse who had filed complaints against the archdiocese. This required "a series of very difficult financial decisions," including layoffs and a 10% cut to the operating budget.
Bishop Hicks is familiar with managing such crises. The Joliet diocese in Illinois, which he is leaving, faced criticism under previous leadership for its handling of paedophile priests. Hicks told Vatican News that the scandal was "something that is never going to be behind us." He added, "This is a sin in the Church, and it's such a great magnitude that we can't just pretend, 'Well, it's behind us and now we simply move on.' What this fund, hopefully, is going to do is help bring some healing for some survivors."
Archbishop Dolan's tenure was also marked by controversy. A fierce opponent of abortion, he sparked debate in September 2025 by comparing conservative activist Charlie Kirk to a "modern-day Saint Paul."
The appointment of Bishop Ronald Hicks marks a pivotal moment, steering the influential New York archdiocese toward a path defined by migrant advocacy and unity, while confronting the Church's most painful legacy head-on.
