Understanding the symbolism in the installation of Archbishop Ronald Hicks
The Archdiocese of New York is preparing for a new archbishop for the first time in almost 17 years.
Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks will be installed Friday in a ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral that will be filled with ancient symbolism.
About the installation ceremony
"The installation of a bishop is an administrative act, not a sacramental act," explained Hartford Archbishop Christopher Coyne, who went through an installation ceremony in 2024.
"Bishops in the Catholic Church are not elected; they are appointed," Coyne said. "So, much of the ceremony focuses on the symbols of the appointment," as well as the new bishop taking possession of the cathedral.
Friday's installation ceremony will begin on Fifth Avenue, outside St. Patrick's Cathedral. Hicks will knock three times on the cathedral door.
"He's knocking at the door so the community may open the door and invite him in," Coyne said. "He's basically saying, 'I'm here. I'm going to enter my church,' the cathedral church, for the first time and he's knocking at the door as any visitor would."
Timothy Cardinal Dolan is expected to welcome Hicks at the door. The men will join a long procession of clerics in the walk to the main altar.
"He takes possession of the church"
The Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, will then go to the lectern and read a letter from Pope Leo XIV announcing the appointment of Hicks.
"He's reading a letter that's directed specifically to the new archbishop, and it's by virtue of that letter only that he takes possession of the church," Coyne said. "And after the letter is read people then applaud. They receive and approve of the fact that he has been named archbishop."
At this point, Hicks will display the ornate letter for all to see, a tradition that dates back centuries.
"It's a very traditional administrative act that basically asserts his right to be seated as the new archbishop. You want to show it to as many people as you can so there's no question that he has not received a letter with the pope's signature on it," Coyne explained
Hicks will then be escorted to the bishop's throne, called a "cathedra," which sits stage right of the main altar.
During his final Mass as archbishop on Sunday, Dolan bid an affectionate goodbye to the seat he is turning over to Hicks.
The symbolism of the carpet, coat of arms, and more
In the days before the installation, the carpet leading to the throne will be changed from red to green, reflecting Hicks' status as an archbishop, not a cardinal.
Hicks' coat of arms will also be installed on the throne, replacing that of Cardinal Dolan.
The new archbishop taking his seat on the cathedra officially signals the start of his service in New York.
"It's like -- amen! -- this is the archbishop, this is his chair, and no one else presides from that," Coyne told CBS News New York's Tony Aiello.
At this stage of his career, Hicks will have been part of many ceremonies; ordination as a deacon and then a priest, consecration as an auxiliary bishop and installation as bishop in Joliet, Illinois.
Archbishop Coyne said each ceremony is like a block that builds faith.
"Each progression has brought me to a different place of joy and salvation, for myself and others," Coyne said.
Coyne added he has no doubt New York's new archbishop will feel as he did: humble, grateful, and dedicated to proclaiming the church's teaching of salvation through Jesus Christ.