Pope Leo to accept Cardinal Dolan’s resignation, possibly name Illinois bishop to lead NY Archdiocese: sources
Pope Leo IVT is set to formally accept Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s resignation this week, and close sources say he will likely hand the reins of the Archdiocese of New York to a bishop from his own Illinois roots.
Dolan, who has led the archdiocese since 2009, submitted his resignation in February when he hit the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Insiders confirm that the pontiff is ready to take action and is eyeing Bishop Ron Hicks of Joliet, Illinois—just a stone’s throw from the pope’s Chicago hometown—as Dolan’s successor.
“It’s in the works for this week, I’m told,” reported Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, who’s long worked with Dolan and even launched “The Catholic Channel” on Sirius XM. “It’s going to happen. It’s a question of when.”
Astorino—who co‑hosted a radio show with Dolan and had his daughter baptized by the cardinal—also shared the scoop on X last week.
“Strong rumors that @Pontifex has accepted the resignation of @CardinalDolan and will appoint Bishop Ron Hicks of Joliet, Illinois,” he posted Monday.
Other members of the Catholic hierarchy have corroborated the impending leadership change.
The archdiocese’s office and Bishop Hicks themselves have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Hicks, now 58, serves as the 6th bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, while Pope Leo—born Robert Prevost—comes from Chicago’s South Side.
Prevost, a Villanova University alumnus, made church history in May when he became the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000‑year legacy, chosen by the College of Cardinals after Pope Francis’s passing.
Raised in South Holland, Illinois, Hicks was named bishop of Joliet by Pope Francis in July 2020 and installed at St. Raymond Nonnatus Cathedral two months later.
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