Pope Leo XIV appoints coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans

WASHINGTON (OSV News) -- Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, N.J., as coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans.

The appointment was publicized Sept. 24 in Washington by Cardinal Christophe Piere, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

According to the church's canon law, a coadjutor bishop is appointed to assist the diocesan bishop until his retirement.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans will continue to lead the archdiocese "until such time that the Holy Father accepts his resignation," the Diocese of Metuchen said in a statement. "When that happens, he will then be automatically succeeded," it said, by Archbishop Checchio.

Archbishop Aymond is 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope.

Archbishop Checchio, 59, said of his appointment, "The Archdiocese of New Orleans is an historic local Church with committed clergy and religious, two large seminary communities and a wonderful, faith-filled laity."

"I am certainly grateful to our Lord and to His vicar, Pope Leo XIV, for sending me to be a part of such a beautiful community," he added.

Nine years in the Diocese of Metuchen, he said, "have been a grace-filled and privileged time in my life and priestly ministry," promising his "ongoing daily prayers" to Metuchen's faithful and clergy, while "assuring the good people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans that I will dedicate myself to praying for and serving you."

Archbishop Checchio continued, "I am so grateful to Archbishop Aymond and (retired) Archbishop (Alfred C.) Hughes for their most kind welcome and for their encouragement. I look forward to working with them in shepherding the Church in my new home. I ask all to please remember me in their prayers."

Archbishop Aymond shared the news of the coadjutor's appointment "with great hope for the future of our archdiocese."

As coadjutor, Archbishop Checchio "will assist me in the role of archbishop and has 'the right of succession' upon my retirement," Archbishop Aymond said in a statement. "It is our intent to host a Mass of Welcome in the coming weeks, and I will continue in the role of Archbishop until the bankruptcy is concluded and other matters of pastoral care of the Archdiocese of New Orleans are accomplished."

James Francis Checchio was born on April 21, 1966, in Camden, New Jersey. After attending Pope Paul VI High School in Haddon Township, he graduated from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

He completed his ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical North American College, obtained a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, and a master's degree in business economics from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

He was ordained a priest on June 20, 1992, for the Diocese of Camden and has held multiple parish and diocesan functions. After serving in three parishes, he was defender of the bond in the Camden Court, assistant director of the Diocesan Office of Public Relations and Communications and personal secretary to the bishops of Camden throughout the 1990s.

He also "worked in collaboration with the major consultative bodies of the diocese," the statement said, and served as vice chancellor, director of the diocesan Office of Public Relations and Communications and moderator of the curia, as well as episcopal vicar for the administration of the Diocese of Camden, vice rector for the administration of the Pontifical North American College in Rome and rector of the same college between 2006-2016.

Appointed Bishop of Metuchen on March 8, 2016, he received episcopal consecration on May 3.

"In his nine years as bishop of Metuchen, Bishop Checchio made visiting the parishes of the diocese a top priority," the diocesan statement said, highlighting that "The protection and safety of children and young persons has always been a preeminent part of Bishop Checchio's episcopacy. He welcomed Pope Francis's Motu proprio 'Vos Estis Lux Mundi,'" a document holding the bishops accountable.

Prior to the pope's motu proprio, "Bishop Checchio had already implemented within the Diocese of Metuchen an independent service,  "ReportBishopAbuse.org, "for the anonymous reporting of any abuse by a bishop."

Over the last almost three decades, Archbishop Checchio has also served on various committees and varied positions for the church and sits on various boards including the National Catholic Bioethics Center, the Seton Hall University Board of Regents and Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Chair of the Development Committee.

Since 2022, he has served as treasurer of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also serving as chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance. In his years as a bishop, he has served on various other USCCB committees and in leadership positions. On Aug. 28, 2025, Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Checchio a member of the Holy See's Dicastery for the Clergy.

He has also served as Catholic chaplain to the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL.

As coadjutor, Archbishop Checchio is coming into an on archdiocese faced with having to resolve hundreds of sexual abuse claims.

A long-running Chapter 11 filing, which dates to 2020, has racked up more than $41 million in legal fees, with a tentative multimillion-dollar settlement proposed by the archdiocese Sept. 8.

Along with the wrangling over bankruptcy and survivor compensation, the archdiocese’s battle to resolve sex abuse claims has also included:

-- The recusal of a previous judge in the Chapter 11 case.
-- The guilty plea and life sentence of Msgr. Lawrence Hecker for rape and other crimes committed in 1975-1976.
-- An investigation by the Louisiana State Police and the FBI to determine if archdiocesan officials covered up child sex trafficking by clergy over several decades, with some alleged victims reportedly taken out of state to be abused and marked for further exploitation among clergy.

A search warrant in that investigation was issued in May 2024. Louisiana State Police Public Information Officer Jacob Pecheu previously confirmed to OSV News the investigation was ongoing.