New Archbishop of New York: Church must bring God’s peace, healing to world
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of New York, presented by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and named Ronald Hicks as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of New York on Thursday, December 18, transferring him from the Diocese of Joliet in the US state of Illinois.
Archbishop Hicks served as the Bishop of Joliet from September 2020, after having helped Cardinal Blase Cupich guide the Archdiocese of Chicago as an Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General since 2015.
In the following interview with Vatican News, Archbishop Hicks looks ahead to his pastoral priorities for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of New York and shares his desire for the Church’s pastors to have “the smell of the sheep.”
Q: Pope Leo XIV has just appointed you as the new Archbishop of New York, taking over from Cardinal Timothy Dolan. As you move from the Diocese of Joliet, what would you say your pastoral priorities will be as you shepherd one of the US’ largest dioceses?
First of all, this appointment comes from Pope Leo. I have a great affinity for him and a lot of respect. I'm really grateful to God that he is our Holy Father.
And as he's appointed me to New York, I'm humbled, I'm excited, I'm obedient. All I want to do is God's will, and however God moves me to be a leader in New York, I want to follow that and just give all of my mind, heart, and soul.
To your question, my desire is to be a pastor with a shepherd's heart. To use the phrase from Pope Francis: ‘To have the smell of the sheep’ and to be with people. I like people. I look forward to meeting them and getting to know them.
And I look forward simply to living our faith and to growing it and sharing the love that God has with all people.
Q: You helped Cardinal Cupich guide the Archdiocese of Chicago as Vicar General and as Auxiliary Bishop for several years. What from that experience do you think has prepared you for your new ministry?
I was blessed to work with Cardinal Cupich for six years in the Archdiocese of Chicago before being named in Joliet, where I became the Ordinary for the past five years.
During that time, I worked with him and a lot of very talented people. So, I learned some basic skills of governance, of administration, and also how to set priorities and keeping the mission of the Church in the center. I think that's probably one of the greatest things I learned.
I think we could get distracted sometimes. What I saw and what I learned working in Chicago as the Vicar General is to keep our eye focused on God, on what is God's will and what is the mission of the Church, and how are we called to live it and invite other people to it. And not get distracted while we're trying to do that.
Q: The Archdiocese of New York just last week announced a $300 million fund to compensate survivors of clerical sexual abuse. What in your background will inform your care for people who have endured abuse?
Being from Chicago, I witnessed Cardinal Bernadin, over 30 years ago, start establishing protocols and procedures for preventing abuse, for protecting children, for helping survivors. As I grew up in that milieu, I realized it's something that we have to take very seriously as a Church.
Working in Chicago and in Joliet, I've continued to make a priority to follow our procedures, our policies, our Charter. One of the things that I learned also, as we move forward with this issue, is always make the best decisions for what is going to help protect children and prevent abuse.
I also know that this is something that is never going to be behind us. This is a sin in the Church, and it's such a great magnitude that we can't just pretend, ‘Well, it's behind us and now we simply move on.’
What this fund, hopefully, is going to do is help bring some healing for some survivors. And meanwhile, as we do that, we also have to focus on the ministry and the mission of the Church.
So, we need to make sure that we do everything that we say and we're supposed to do for protecting children and for our survivors, and also at the same time focus on what are we called to do as a Church in this world and for each other.
Q: You grew up in the same neighbourhood of Chicago as Pope Leo XIV. As you lead a major US diocese, what hopes do you have for the Church in the United States?
I grew up in the suburb right next door to Pope Leo, about 14 blocks away from each other. And like Pope Leo, I'm looking for a Church that brings God's light to the world, His peace, His healing, His love.
I'm also looking forward to ways of doing so, not in a divisive way or tearing people apart, but looking for ways of unity and finding ways to cooperate with each other.
And you brought up Pope Leo: I just want to publicly say I want to cooperate with him. I want to respect his priorities and work with him to help bring those to reality, to light.
I’m just very grateful to Pope Leo, and I want to say it's been my joy and honor serving both Chicago and Joliet. And I'm ready, with the help of God, to make this next step into New York.
