Pope Leo's Historic Appointment: A New Era for New York's Catholic Church

Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope, has appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks as the new leader of New York's Catholic Church, replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan. This significant change marks a shift in the country's Catholic leadership, as Hicks takes over the nation's second-largest diocese.

Pope Leo has made a historic move by replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a significant figure in the U.S. Church, as the head of the Catholic Church in New York. This decision was announced by the Vatican on Thursday, marking a major change in leadership.

In place of Dolan, Pope Leo has appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks, a relatively unknown cleric from Illinois, to lead the nation's second-largest Catholic diocese. This district is home to approximately 2.8 million Church members, symbolizing a significant shift in focus for the church's future direction.

Cardinal Dolan, who has served as the Archbishop of New York since 2009 and was a former president of the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference, had submitted his resignation in February following the tradition of stepping down at age 75, although cardinal service often extends until the age of 80.

(With inputs from agencies.)