Pope Leo XIV eyes Illinois bishop to lead New York Archdiocese

Pope Leo XIV is expected to appoint a bishop from his native Illinois to replace the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York, according to Catholic media reports.

An anonymous source with ties to church leaders in New York and Rome confirmed to The Washington Times that Ronald Hicks, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, near the pope’s hometown of Chicago, will be appointed as soon as Thursday.

Bishop Hicks would succeed Cardinal Dolan, who submitted his age-mandated retirement upon turning 75 in February, as the leader of New York City’s 2.8 million Catholics.

“The fact that Hicks is only 58 means that he will be in New York for at least 17 years,” the Rev. Tom Reese, a Jesuit priest and former editor of America magazine in Manhattan, said Tuesday. “As archbishop of New York, he is automatically a major player in the Catholic Church and in American politics.”

He said the pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, “undoubtedly” considered Bishop Hicks while running the Vatican office that selects bishops worldwide for the late Pope Francis.

“He clearly found someone from his hometown he liked for New York,” Father Reese added in a text message. “The appointment also shows that Cardinal Cupich will continue to be influential during this papacy just as he was during the papacy of Pope Francis.”

Bishop Hicks served as an auxiliary bishop under Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago for two years before taking over the Diocese of Joliet in 2020.

The Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Joliet did not respond to emails seeking comment.

U.S. Catholic sources broke the news Monday on X.com, citing a report from the Spanish-language outlet Religion Digital.

They noted that Bishop Hicks also served as a young priest in Latin America, making him likely to support the immigration-friendly policies of Pope Francis, who died in March.

John-Henry Westen, CEO of the conservative LifeSiteNews, called Bishop Hicks “a close ally and protege of Cardinal Blase Cupich” in an afternoon post announcing the appointment.

Some sources said this connection could align Bishop Hicks with the church’s left flank.

Conservative Catholics and clergy led a protest against Cardinal Cupich in September for attempting to give a lifetime achievement award to retiring Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a pro-choice Democrat.

Pope Leo defended the cardinal’s choice, but Mr. Durbin ultimately declined the award that would have recognized his immigration advocacy.

Named archbishop of New York in 2012, Cardinal Dolan has earned a reputation for defending conservative Catholic teachings with an upbeat style. He delivered the invocation at the Republican National Convention in 2020 and recently described the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a “modern-day St. Paul.”

Christopher Hale, a former Catholic outreach adviser to the Obama and Biden administrations, said in a Monday evening post on X that “two independent sources with direct knowledge of the situation” confirmed the Hicks appointment to him.

“The move decisively undercuts conservative hopes that Cardinal Cupich would be sidelined during Leo’s pontificate,” Mr. Hale wrote. “Instead, it signals continuity — and sustained influence.”

According to church protocol, Catholic officials in Joliet and New York cannot officially confirm the appointment until the Vatican makes it public.