By Ayomide Otitoju
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, a prominent figure in the US Church’s conservative wing, the Vatican announced Thursday. Dolan stepped down in line with canon law upon reaching the age of 75.
He is succeeded by 58-year-old Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois, a relatively little-known cleric whose appointment ends months of speculation over the future leadership of one of the largest archdioceses in the United States.
The move marks Pope Leo’s most significant US bishop appointment since his election in May and signals a potential shift toward a stronger stance on human rights issues, particularly in response to the US administration’s policies.
Hicks, like Pope Leo, has emphasized solidarity with migrants. In November, he endorsed a statement from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops criticizing the administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy, calling for meaningful reform grounded in Catholic social teaching.
In an interview with Vatican News following his appointment, Hicks expressed admiration for Pope Leo, saying he had “a great affinity for him and a lot of respect.” He previously spent five years in El Salvador managing a church-run orphanage program spanning nine Latin American and Caribbean countries, paralleling Pope Leo’s two decades of service in Peru.
Before his appointment to New York, Hicks served as bishop of Joliet, Illinois, and held several parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago, the city of Pope Leo’s birth, though the two first met only in 2024.
Dolan, known for his Irish-American roots and outspoken theological conservatism, has led the New York Archdiocese since 2009. He drew controversy in September by likening conservative activist Charlie Kirk to a “modern-day Saint Paul.”
