Timothy Cardinal Dolan is retiring after 16 years at the Archdiocese of New York, leaving behind a dual legacy of both compassion and fierce devotion to church teachings.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday made his most important U.S. appointment to date, naming a fellow Chicagoan as the next archbishop of New York to lead one of the biggest U.S. archdioceses as it navigates relations with the Trump administration and its immigration crackdown.

Bishop Ron Hicks of Joliet, Illinois has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV to be the next leader of the Archdiocese of New York, replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan following his retirement.

Pope Leo has appointed a new archbishop of New York who has first-hand experience of countries from where millions have emigrated to the United States, signaling the potential for a more outspoken approach from bishops on immigration.