Pope Leo has named Bishop Aldon Ronald Hicks who, like the pope, is from the Chicago area and served in Latin America, as the next archbishop of New York.
Bishop Hicks, 58, will lead one of the Roman Catholic Church's most populous and important postings in the US.
He replaces 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 neighborhood 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.
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. He will officially be installed at the cathedral on 6 February 2026.
His appointment comes a week after Cardinal Dolan announced the archdiocese would 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.
Cardinal Dolan, of Missouri, announced his resignation in February, as required by church law when bishops turn 75. He was named head of the church in New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, who later made him cardinal.
He participated in two conclaves, one that elected Pope Francis in 2013 and the second that elected Leo XIV last May.
The cardinal led prayers at both of Trump's inaugurations, and was appointed by the president to the new Religious Liberty Commission earlier this year.
