Pope Leo has named Bishop Aldon Ronald Hicks as the next archbishop of New York.
Bishop Hicks, who – like the pope – is from the Chicago area and served in Latin America, will lead one of the Roman Catholic Church’s most populous and important postings in the United States.
The 58-year-old replaces the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 75, who was seen as a conservative with close ties to President Donald Trump. Hicks said he accepted his appointment, which was announced on Thursday, with “an open heart” and Dolan called it “an early Christmas gift” for New Yorkers.
Last month, Hicks joined other bishops to condemn the Trump administration’s large scale immigration-related arrests as part of its mass deportation agenda.
Hicks’ early life and pastoral career closely mirror Pope Leo’s. He grew up in South Holland, a short distance from Leo’s Dolton neighbourhood in the suburb of Chicago.
While Pope Leo spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, Hicks worked at an orphanage in El Salvador from 2005 to 2010, according to a biography released by the New York archdiocese. Hicks was appointed bishop of Joliet by Pope Francis in 2020.
Like the pope, Hicks has been outspoken about his concerns for immigrants.
“Deeply rooted in our Gospel tradition of loving our neighbor, this letter affirms our solidarity with all our brothers and sisters as it expresses our concerns, opposition, and hopes with clarity and conviction,” he said, in response to a joint-letter written by US bishops expressing concerns about the situation immigrants in the United States face.
“It is grounded in the Church’s enduring commitment to the Catholic social teaching of human dignity and a call for meaningful immigration reform,” he said
The Trump administration has carried out large scale immigration arrests in the Chicago area, leading to clashes between federal agents and residents protesting their presence.
The bishops’ letter comes as churches grapple with how to respond to immigration activity that affects their members.
The majority of people at risk of deportation are Christians, with 61% of the at-risk group being Catholics, according to a report by the US Catholic Bishops Conference.
Hicks will now leave his position as bishop of Joliet for the ornate sanctuary at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan where he will lead 2.5 million Catholics in the nation’s largest city.
His appointment comes a week after Cardinal Dolan, who has served in New York City for about 16 years, announced the archdiocese will set up a $300 million fund to settle claims of clergy sex abuse.
“As a church, we can never rest in our efforts to prevent abuse, to protect children and to care for survivors,” the incoming archbishop said at a news conference. “While this work is challenging, it’s difficult, it’s painful, I hope it will continue to help in the areas of accountability, transparency and healing.”
