ROME and NEW YORK -- Pope Leo XIV appointed on Thursday Bishop Ronald A. Hicks as archbishop of New York, moving a fellow Chicagoan to one of the highest Catholic posts in the United States.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday made his most important U.S. appointment to date, naming a fellow Chicagoan as the next archbishop of New York to lead one of the biggest U.S. archdioceses as it navigates relations with the Trump administration and its immigration crackdown.

Pope Leo has appointed a new archbishop of New York who has first-hand experience of countries from where millions have emigrated to the United States, signaling the potential for a more outspoken approach from bishops on immigration.

Prevost said he returned to the Catholic Church after years of struggling to find his place, since he believed the sins he had to confess were too jarring for the average priest to handle.

Pope Leo on Thursday decried political leaders who invoke religious beliefs to justify conflicts or nationalist policies, calling that a form of blasphemy, or a serious sin that disrespects or insults God.

Pope Leo XIV named Thursday a fellow Chicagoan as the next archbishop of New York to lead one of the biggest U.S. archdioceses.

The list spans artists like Rosalía and Bad Bunny, actors such as Jennifer Lawrence, and cultural icons like Michelle Obama and Venus Williams.