Why is Cardinal Dolan resigning? Reason explained as Pope Leo reportedly set to appoint Bishop Ron Hicks to NYC

Pope Leo XIV is reportedly set to announce Bishop Ron Hicks as the replacement for Cardinal Dolan, who until now has served as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. According to Spectrum News 1, the development comes after Cardinal Dolan announced his resignation earlier this year, as required by Church laws upon reaching the age of 75, in accordance with Canon 401 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

Cardinal Dolan, whose full name is Timothy Michael Dolan, was born on February 6, 1950 and has served as the Archbishop of New York since 2009. According to reports, he was apppointed Cardinal in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI and was part of the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV in May.

More about Pope Leo XIV's decision to appoint Bishop Ron Hicks as the new Archbishop

Cardinal Dolan announced his resignation back in February upon turning 75, though until now it had not been officially accepted by the Pope. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the process of selecting the new Archbishop involves the Papal nuncio, who serves as the Pope's diplomatic representative to a country, presenting a list of potential candidates to the Congregation for Bishops. The Congregation then conducts further investigations into the candidates and submits their findings to the Pope, who ultimately appoints his chosen candidate to the post of Archbishop.

According to New York Post, the news of the leadership change comes days after the Archdiocese of New York agreed to settle ongoing claims brought forward by more than one thousand individuals who have accused a former Church staff of sexual abuse while they were minors. The $300 million settlement was announced by His Eminence last week on Monday, December 8, in a public letter where he acknowledged the past wrongdoings of the Church and asked for forgiveness from those affected. He wrote:

"As we have repeatedly acknowledged, the sexual abuse of minors long ago has brought shame upon our Church. I once again ask forgiveness for the failing of those who betrayed the trust placed in them by failing to provide for the safety of our young people."

Most recently, the Church announced that it will be selling a plot of land near the Lotte New York Palace Hotel for $490 million in an effort to raise funds for the settlement involving 1300 individuals.

Although no official announcement has been made, several news outlets report that Pope Leo XIV is set to name Bishop Ronald Hicks, who is 58 years old as the next Archbishop of New York. Hicks currently serves as the Bishop of Joliet, a position he has held since 2020, and previously served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago.