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This Advent, Cardinal Timothy Dolan reminded New Yorkers and faithful Americans what the season is really about: light over darkness and hope in hard times, a message he repeated in recent Advent letters and public appearances as he encouraged the faithful to hold fast to Christ’s promise. His words — that light will always triumph and that the Church must be a beacon in a world growing cold — cut through the partisan noise and offered the spiritual clarity so many of us crave at year’s end. For millions who still cherish faith and family, Dolan’s Christmas message was a breath of fresh, hopeful air.
But as the faithful prepared for the season of light, reports emerged that Pope Leo XIV is moving to accept Cardinal Dolan’s retirement and to appoint Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet as the next Archbishop of New York, marking the end of a 16-year chapter in Manhattan’s Catholic leadership. The news is being reported across outlets and follows long-expected church protocol after Dolan submitted his resignation upon reaching the mandatory age. For conservative Catholics and patriotic Americans who admired Dolan’s public witness, the change feels seismic — and it arrives at a fraught moment for the Church.
Cardinal Dolan, who has shepherded the Archdiocese since 2009 and submitted his resignation when he turned 75, leaves behind a record of stout leadership in one of the most consequential dioceses in the United States. His tenure was not about headlines for headlines’ sake but about standing visibly for religious liberty, for the dignity of life, and for the working families who make our country strong. That steady presence in New York’s public square mattered — especially when the currents of culture were moving the other way.
Make no mistake: Cardinal Dolan has been a leading defender of religious freedom and a tireless voice for faith in public life, recognized by groups who honor those who fight for the First Amendment and the right to live out conscience. His awards and public speeches show a man who saw religious liberty as essential to the American project, not as a negotiable cultural preference. Conservatives who value faith, family, and freedom should be grateful for a shepherd who never let legitimate moral conviction be silenced.
The reported choice of Bishop Ronald Hicks — a Midwesterner with pastoral experience in Latin America and a reputation for a pro-immigrant pastoral approach — signals a different tone that Pope Leo appears willing to emphasize in the American church. Supporters will praise a pastoral emphasis on the marginalized, but conservatives should watch closely whether New York’s leadership will maintain the same muscular defense of religious freedom and moral clarity that so many relied upon. Change is part of life, but vigilance is the duty of citizens who care about the spiritual and civic health of our communities.
So as we hear Cardinal Dolan’s call to hold onto hope and to let the light of Christ shine, let us also give thanks for a leader who stood up for the things that built this nation. Pray for him in retirement and pray for whoever takes up the mantle, that they might be courageous defenders of religious liberty and unafraid to speak the truth in an era that too often punishes it. This season, more than ever, hardworking Americans must keep faith with faith itself — because when light triumphs over darkness, our country and our Church both win.
