Pope Leo expected to accept NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation
Pope Leo XIV is expected to accept Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation as early as Thursday, Dec. 18, and announce a successor to the Archdiocese of New York, according to Catholic website The Pillar.
Catholic news outlets have circulated whispers that Dolan’s replacement is expected to be Bishop Ron Hicks, 58, of Joliet, Illinois, hailing from the same state as newly-elected Pope Leo.
Hicks is rumored to soon step into one of the largest and most public-facing roles in the American Catholic Church, as the second-largest Archdiocese in the country.
Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who created The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM, acknowledged the rumors of the new appointment with a post on X Monday, calling them “strong.”
Why did Cardinal Dolan resign?
Dolan confirmed he had submitted a letter of resignation to the late Pope Francis following his 75th birthday back in February.
Francis had made the resignations of Cardinals mandatory at the age of 75 in 2014, but with a shortage of priests and ordained personnel in the Catholic Church, many Cardinals are allowed to serve past their terms depending on when the Holy See accepts.
“You have to submit your letter of resignation,” Dolan told The Catholic Channel on New York’s Sirius XM in February. “Usually, the Holy See would ask you to stay until your successor is appointed, and you don’t know when that will be.”
Dolan became the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of New York in 2009, replacing the former Cardinal Edward Egan’s seat at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
The leadership change comes as the archdiocese is seeking $300 million to settle over 1,300 claims of child sex abuse by priests and other Catholic Church staff. Several churches in the Lower Hudson Valley and across the state have filed for bankruptcy or sold their properties to make up for the money.
“As we have repeatedly acknowledged, the sexual abuse of minors long ago has brought shame upon our church,” Dolan said Monday, according to the New York Post. “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.”
The Archdiocese of New York has not yet responded to comments regarding the retirement or replacement claims.
Contributing: lohud’s Nancy Cutler
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Why did Cardinal Dolan resign? What we know
