Pope Leo replaces New York’s Cardinal Dolan in shake-up of US Church

NEW ARCHBISHOP HAS “GREAT HEART”

At a press conference in New York a few hours after the Vatican’s announcement, Hicks, 58, gave some remarks in Spanish before speaking in English. He said he has a “great heart” for the Latino community as a former missionary in Latin America.

Hicks also repeated an earlier endorsement of the US Catholic bishops condemnation of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

He said the US should protect its borders but “also be a country that upholds human dignity, respect, (and) treating each other well”.

Hicks, leader of the Church in Joliet, Illinois, since 2020, has several similarities to Pope Leo. They are both originally from south Chicago suburbs but spent years as missionaries – Leo in Peru while Hicks in El Salvador.

“(Leo) is elevating to the most prominent American see an Illinois native very much like himself,” said Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Centre on Religion and Culture.

Hicks joked at the press conference that he and Leo even have the same favourite pizza restaurant.

The Archdiocese of New York is a sprawling and influential institution, serving Catholics across Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island and in seven counties to the north across 296 parishes and hundreds of Catholic schools and hospitals.

Leo‘s replacement of Dolan comes as the archdiocese is struggling to raise more than US$300 million for expected settlements with survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy.

The archdiocese has entered mediation with some 1,300 alleged survivors, with Dolan announcing on December 8 the archdiocese would cut its operating budget by 10 per cent, lay off staff and sell properties as it sought to raise funds for pay outs.

Hicks will be installed in his new role on Feb 6, the New York archdiocese said in a statement. Dolan will remain as temporary leader in the interim.