Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Rev. Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, a native of the Dominican Republic, to succeed Bishop Gerald Barbarito.

Pope Leo's selection had spurred optimism that the Church's stance on female deacons might change. That was not to be the case.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan never backed down from a political scrap, but was quick with a kind word and a sympathetic ear — and even kept a list of people he prayed for. At 75, the retiring leader of the Archdiocese of New York leaves behind a legacy of both compassion and a firm resolve to fight for the teachings of the Catholic Church,