Dolan Out, Hicks In: Vatican Fast-Tracks Major Power Shift in NY Church

Paul Riverbank, 12/17/2025Pope replaces Cardinal Dolan with Bishop Hicks—Midwest ties and major reform await New York’s Church.

If this unfolds as insiders such as Westchester County’s Rob Astorino predict, Dolan’s successor—Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois—could be on a flight to New York before local parishes hang their holiday wreaths. “It’s going to happen. It’s a question of when,” Astorino said, his tone carrying as much certainty as impatience. He’s been repeating this sentiment, both on the air and online, ever since word began to leak out from Rome. “Strong rumors that @Pontifex has accepted the resignation of @CardinalDolan and will appoint Bishop Ron Hicks...” he wrote, stirring speculation still further.

Why Ronald Hicks? The answer isn’t stitched together solely from résumés or titles. The story stretches back to Harvey, Illinois, where Hicks grew up not terribly far from the South Side neighborhood where Pope Leo, known once upon a time as Robert Prevost, learned to ride his bicycle. Hicks has described Leo with almost brotherly affection, once telling a friend, “He’s a normal guy from a normal neighborhood we grew up in.” For those who see patterns in papal appointments, this Chicago bond feels significant, particularly as the Church seeks steadiness after a fractious era.

Hicks, still in his fifties (which in Vatican-speak is practically youthful), began his more public service as an auxiliary bishop in Chicago under Cardinal Blase Cupich, then was plucked by Pope Francis in 2020 to steer the Joliet diocese. Card. Cupich, himself a figure who divides opinions among the American bishops, is considered influential with both Francis and Leo, hinting at a thread of continuity running through these appointments. Christopher Hale, among others, calls it “continuity—and sustained influence.” In church politics, those are loaded words.

This changing of the guard comes at a taxing moment. The New York archdiocese is staggering under the weight of more than 1,300 sexual abuse claims. The corresponding financial burdens have driven church officials to consider layoffs, budget trimming, and even the heart-wrenching sale of prime Manhattan property—including the land beneath the Lotte New York Palace and the archdiocesan headquarters, both symbols of Catholic solidity in a shifting city. Some clergy, such as Father Tom Reese, a Jesuit who’s seen his share of transitions, point out that at just 58, Hicks could lead New York’s nearly three million Catholics for as long as 17 years—lengthy enough to reshape how the city’s Catholics see themselves and are seen.

Politics, which always swirl not far from the altar in New York, shadow the appointment as well. Hicks spent meaningful time working in Latin America. That experience dovetails with Church priorities on immigration and outreach, issues that put him both in step with Vatican thinking and directly in the path of American polarization. His ties to Cupich, whose decision to honor a pro-choice senator angered some conservatives, remind observers that the next archbishop must maneuver across a complicated landscape. But this is New York—the city has room for both praise and protest. Dolan’s own tenure included memorable prayers at the Republican National Convention and a reputation for mixing traditional doctrine with approachable warmth.

Of course, papal decisions rarely follow a tidy schedule. One source close to the process confessed that, while an announcement was tentatively set for Thursday, jittery nerves in Rome could push back the news—especially with leaks already trickling out. The Vatican is nothing if not wary of surprises.

For now, pews in churches from the Bronx to Staten Island feel the stirrings of anticipation, wary hope, and maybe a bit of nostalgia for the outgoing cardinal’s blustery presence. Hicks arrives at a time when public trust, financial strength, and even the soul of the American Church are fiercely contested. Nearly nobody doubts the scale of the challenge—nor the reach of the reform that the right leader might achieve, starting with someone whose roots run not through curial palaces but through the modest streets of the Midwest.

Change is brewing in the heart of New York’s Catholic community, though you wouldn’t quite know it from the stone-faced silence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week. Inside church circles, however, the expectation is nearly electric: Pope Leo XIV, who took everyone by surprise as the first American pontiff, is widely believed to have already accepted the resignation letter submitted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The only real suspense left is the timing of the official word.If this unfolds as insiders such as Westchester County’s Rob Astorino predict, Dolan’s successor—Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois—could be on a flight to New York before local parishes hang their holiday wreaths. “It’s going to happen. It’s a question of when,” Astorino said, his tone carrying as much certainty as impatience. He’s been repeating this sentiment, both on the air and online, ever since word began to leak out from Rome. “Strong rumors that @Pontifex has accepted the resignation of @CardinalDolan and will appoint Bishop Ron Hicks...” he wrote, stirring speculation still further.Why Ronald Hicks? The answer isn’t stitched together solely from résumés or titles. The story stretches back to Harvey, Illinois, where Hicks grew up not terribly far from the South Side neighborhood where Pope Leo, known once upon a time as Robert Prevost, learned to ride his bicycle. Hicks has described Leo with almost brotherly affection, once telling a friend, “He’s a normal guy from a normal neighborhood we grew up in.” For those who see patterns in papal appointments, this Chicago bond feels significant, particularly as the Church seeks steadiness after a fractious era.Hicks, still in his fifties (which in Vatican-speak is practically youthful), began his more public service as an auxiliary bishop in Chicago under Cardinal Blase Cupich, then was plucked by Pope Francis in 2020 to steer the Joliet diocese. Card. Cupich, himself a figure who divides opinions among the American bishops, is considered influential with both Francis and Leo, hinting at a thread of continuity running through these appointments. Christopher Hale, among others, calls it “continuity—and sustained influence.” In church politics, those are loaded words.This changing of the guard comes at a taxing moment. The New York archdiocese is staggering under the weight of more than 1,300 sexual abuse claims. The corresponding financial burdens have driven church officials to consider layoffs, budget trimming, and even the heart-wrenching sale of prime Manhattan property—including the land beneath the Lotte New York Palace and the archdiocesan headquarters, both symbols of Catholic solidity in a shifting city. Some clergy, such as Father Tom Reese, a Jesuit who’s seen his share of transitions, point out that at just 58, Hicks could lead New York’s nearly three million Catholics for as long as 17 years—lengthy enough to reshape how the city’s Catholics see themselves and are seen.Politics, which always swirl not far from the altar in New York, shadow the appointment as well. Hicks spent meaningful time working in Latin America. That experience dovetails with Church priorities on immigration and outreach, issues that put him both in step with Vatican thinking and directly in the path of American polarization. His ties to Cupich, whose decision to honor a pro-choice senator angered some conservatives, remind observers that the next archbishop must maneuver across a complicated landscape. But this is New York—the city has room for both praise and protest. Dolan’s own tenure included memorable prayers at the Republican National Convention and a reputation for mixing traditional doctrine with approachable warmth.Of course, papal decisions rarely follow a tidy schedule. One source close to the process confessed that, while an announcement was tentatively set for Thursday, jittery nerves in Rome could push back the news—especially with leaks already trickling out. The Vatican is nothing if not wary of surprises.For now, pews in churches from the Bronx to Staten Island feel the stirrings of anticipation, wary hope, and maybe a bit of nostalgia for the outgoing cardinal’s blustery presence. Hicks arrives at a time when public trust, financial strength, and even the soul of the American Church are fiercely contested. Nearly nobody doubts the scale of the challenge—nor the reach of the reform that the right leader might achieve, starting with someone whose roots run not through curial palaces but through the modest streets of the Midwest.