The just-appointed Archbishop of New York, Bishop Ronald Hicks, is ready to take the Big Apple and its famed pizza, revealing Thursday that he and Pope Leo share the same favorite pie joint back in their hometown of Chicago.
Hicks was introduced to his new parishioners at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown Thursday morning by the outgoing Timothy Cardinal Dolan, who is retiring as Archbishop of New York after 16 years.
Hicks, the bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois, was tapped to take over for Cardinal Dolan by Pope Leo XIV — who Hicks had met before he assumed the Holy Throne in Rome and bonded over their favorite pizza pie.
Bishop Ronald Hicks, left, embraces Cardinal Timothy Dolan, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Dec. 18, 2025. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Bishop Ronald Hicks and Pope Leo both reportedly chose Aurelio’s Pizza as their favorite joint in Chicago. Aurelio’s Pizza
“I found him to be extremely relatable,” Hicks said when asked about his relationship with the pontiff.
“And I do also like the fact that we grew up in the same area. We would have played baseball in the same parks, swimming in the same public pools — and we even share a famous pizza place that’s our favorite,” he said.
While Hicks did not reveal exactly which pizza place, Pope Leo’s favorite is reportedly Aurelio’s Pizza, which has locations all around Chicagoland. His Holiness famously has pepperoni pies shipped to the Vatican.
Pope Leo’s Chicago choice is Aurelio’s. Tam Nguyen / NYPost Design
The just-appointed Archbishop of New York, Bishop Ronald Hicks, seen with Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
“Before he became Pope I had the opportunity to meet him in Chicago, actually last year in August. He spoke at one of my parishes in my diocese and gave a wonderful talk,” he recalled of their meeting.
“Afterwards he said, ‘can I just get five minutes with you?’ And that five minutes turned into about 20 minutes,” he said.