New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- Pope Leo XIV on Thursday (December 18) appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as the next Archbishop of New York, marking his most significant US appointment since becoming the first American pope and signalling a major shift in the leadership of the US Catholic Church.

Hicks, 58, will succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a leading conservative voice in the American hierarchy who has led the New York archdiocese since 2009.

The Vatican said Dolan, who turned 75 earlier this year, had offered his resignation in line with Church law. He will remain as temporary leader until Hicks is installed on February 6.

The appointment places a relatively low-profile cleric in charge of one of the country's most influenti...