Next New Orleans archbishop named, will inherit bankruptcy

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday chose James Checchio to be next in line to serve as archbishop of New Orleans. Checchio, who is the current bishop of Metuchen, N.J., will succeed Archbishop Gregory Aymond when he retires, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Aymond is expected to retire soon, as he turned 75 last year, hitting the Vatican’s age limit for bishops, according to the Catholic News Agency.

Checchio will inherit leadership of an archdiocese facing bankruptcy and one of the largest clergy sex abuse settlements in the United States. The New Orleans archdiocese has been in bankruptcy proceedings since 2020 due to budget issues and abuse lawsuits, according to its lawyers’ records and a letter from Aymond. The archdiocese two weeks ago proposed to pay out $230 million to settle multiple sex abuse claims, up from a previous offer of $180 million, according to court documents.

Has Checchio handled sex abuse fallout before? He guided his current New Jersey diocese through the aftermath of 2018 sexual misconduct claims against his predecessor there, according to ABC News.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the ongoing recovery of a girl shot in an attack on a Minneapolis Catholic church.