Free Republic

Mayor Zohran Mamdani committed a cardinal sin last week by dissing millions of area Catholics as the first city mayor in nearly 100 years — and possibly ever — to skip the local archbishop’s installation. Ronald Hicks, 58, on Friday became the 11th archbishop of the New York Archdiocese since 1850, accepting the reins of power from Cardinal Timothy Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in a packed historic ceremony steeped in ritual. One of the event’s traditions — dating back to at least 1939, when then-New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia attended the installation of famous top clergyman Francis Spellman...

[Catholic Caucus] EXPLOSIVE: Bishop Hicks’ Vicar General Reportedly Attends Chancellor’s Gay ‘Wedding’IntroductionIn December, we reported that Bishop Hicks’ diocesan chancellor, Robert Salvato, was ‘married’ to another man. Salvato was appointed Chancellor by Hicks in 2021. As Chancellor, Salvato was responsible for advising Hicks on issues related to canon law and recording ecclesiastical acts, decrees and dispensations issued by the bishop.As if the diocesan Chancellor getting ‘married’ to his boyfriend was not enough of a scandal, we now have reports that Fr. Richard Smith, the Vicar General for the diocese of Joliet, attended the ‘ceremony.’ An eyewitness has told us that...

Pope Leo XIV is expected to name Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, to succeed retiring 75 year old Timothy Cardinal Dolan as archbishop of New York, sources briefed on the transition say. About Bishop Hicks Pope Leo is from Illinois, and he has tapped a fellow Illinois native to lead the archdiocese of New York. Hicks, 58, and Pope Leo have much in common. They were both born and raised in suburban Chicago, with Hicks being born in Harvey and raised in South Holland. Both men also speak fluent Spanish after spending years ministering to the poor in South...

Pope Leo XIV is expected to accept Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s resignation this week — and will possibly name a bishop from the pontiff’s Illinois home state to lead the Archdiocese of New York, well-placed sources said. Dolan, who has served as archbishop since 2009, submitted his resignation in February after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Insiders said the Holy Father is now set to accept the resignation, and that he is considering naming Bishop Ron Hicks, of Joliet, Ill., near the pope’s Windy City hometown, to replace Dolan.