Leo XIV Appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks as Archbishop of New York

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Leo XIV Appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks as Archbishop of New York

gloria.tv | December 18, 2025

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ron Hicks, 58, of Joliet, Illinois, as the 11th Archbishop of New York.

Monsignor Hicks was ordained as a priest in 1994 by likely homosexual Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop by pro-homosexual Cardinal Blase Cupich, whom he owes his entire carreer.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has led the Archdiocese of New York since 2009, will be remembered for permitting a transvestite show funeral for homosexual activist Cecilia Gentili at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in February 2024.

In all likelihood, substantively, Bishop Hicks will not differ significantly from Cardinal Dolan.


First Generation-X Prelate at Major US Archdiocese

Bishop Hicks will be the first Generation-X prelate (born roughly between 1965 and 1980) to hold a major U.S. see. He comes from a very different era of seminary formation.

The Archbishop of New York is traditionally appointed a cardinal.

From 2005 to 2010, Bishop Hicks spent five years on missionary assignment in El Salvador.

The article's picture shows Rev Hicks bearing relics of Archbishop Óscar Romero at a 2015 beatification event in San Salvador. Romero was a left-wing political activist.

In 2010, Monsignor Hicks became Dean of Seminary Formation for the Archdiocese of Chicago.


Cardinal Cupich's Ally

Cardinal Blase Cupich elevated him to the post of Vicar General in 2015.

In 2018, Hicks was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Chicago, and in 2020 he was named Bishop of Joliet, Illinois, a suburban Chicago diocese.

Monsignor Hicks is closely associated with the Cupich and Pope Francis ecclesial style. His public record includes high praise for both figures.

He is widely regarded as a disciplined administrator.

His record in the Diocese of Joliet suggests a restrained and even friendly approach to existing Traditional Latin Mass communities. However, as a loyalist, he may act differently under pressure from New York and the Vatican.

New York Archdiocese Faces Major Challenges

Cardinal Dolan’s final years have been marked by severe financial strain on the archdiocese.

The leadership transition comes as the Archdiocese of New York works to raise $300 million to settle roughly 1,300 sexual abuse claims. To meet that goal, the archdiocese has cut costs, reduced its operating budget by 10 percent, laid off staff, and sold major real-estate assets.

These include plans to sell the land beneath the Lotte New York Palace hotel for approximately $490 million—partly to repay loans taken out for earlier settlements—as well as an expected $100 million from the sale of the former archdiocesan headquarters on First Avenue.

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Next Archbishop of New York Is Deeply Francis' Man

gloria.tv | December 18, 2025

Monsignor Ronald Hicks - Bishop of Joliet and soon to become the new Archbishop of New York - first met Pope Francis on 29 June 2015.

After Francis’s death, he wrote about that meeting on Diocoliet.org on 5 May. Back then, he was standing in Saint Peter’s Basilica with Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich.

Cupich had been installed as Archbishop of Chicago in November 2014. In January 2015, he appointed Rev. Hicks as his Vicar General and in 2018 his auxiliary bishop.


“Now Is Your Chance”

In June 2015, Archbishop Cupich asked his Vicar General in the Basilica, “Have you ever met the Pope?”

When Hicks replied, “No,” Cupich grasped his arm and said with a smile, “Well, now is your chance.”

He led Hicks briskly toward Pope Francis and introduced him in Italian, saying, “Holy Father, this is Ron Hicks, my Vicar General, and he speaks Spanish.” Francis turned to Hicks and began speaking in Spanish.

Hicks recalls: “From that moment forward, whenever we encountered one another, we spoke exclusively in Spanish, always accompanied by his direct and attentive gaze. Pope Francis had a remarkable gift; he made me feel not only heard, but truly seen.”


"Francis' warmth as hallmark of his presence"

Monsignor Hicks continued: “His warmth, care, support and joy were not reserved for a select few — they were the hallmarks of his presence with everyone he encountered.”

He added: “Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis courageously addressed theological, ecclesial and spiritual — as well as controversial — matters with conviction and pastoral tenderness (no irony intended).”

And: “The list of his contributions to the Church and to humanity is truly inexhaustible.”

"Francis' Leadership Transcended Religious Divides"

Following Francis’s death, Bishop Hicks was "particularly touched" by messages he received from Protestant ministers, rabbis, imams and government leaders.

Pope Francis’s life and leadership "transcended boundaries, reaching hearts across religious, cultural and political divides", Bishop Hicks believes. He thanks God for "the gift of Pope Francis".