(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV, on Wednesday, officially named Bishop James F. Checchio, the former bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey, with long ties to disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, as the new archbishop of New Orleans.
In the February 11 bulletin, the Vatican announced that Leo has officially accepted the resignation of Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond and named Checchio, 59, who had served as the coadjutor archbishop since September, as the new archbishop of New Orleans. In 33 years as a priest, Checchio has allegedly covered up the abuse of the late disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, has expressed support for Father James Martin’s dissident pro-LGBT ministry, and previously suppressed the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) as the archbishop of New Orleans.
Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans; Succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio
Read the full release at: https://t.co/09VV0F1xny pic.twitter.com/08iqD9eYHO
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) February 11, 2026
Ties to disgraced McCarrick
After Checchio’s ordination to the priesthood in 1992, he served in various parishes in the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, and held diocesan administrative roles, including serving as secretary to Bishop James McHugh.
From 2006 to 2016, Checchio served as rector of the Pontifical North American College (NAC) in Rome after a 2.5 year tenure as vice rector. During his tenure, Checchio was credited with the NAC enjoying its highest enrollment of Americans since the 1960s.
However, it was also during his tenure that then-Cardinal McCarrick was allowed to stay at the college during the 2013 papal conclave, despite allegations and rumors of his sexual abuse of seminarians surfacing among the clergy.
READ: Pope Leo appoints bishop linked to McCarrick, Fr. James Martin to New Orleans archdiocese
In 2016, Checchio was appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen by Pope Francis. McCarrick, the founding bishop of the diocese, was notably front and center at Checchio’s episcopal consecration.
As bishop, Checchio would have been responsible for reviewing the diocese’s past sexual abuse settlements, which included two settlements the Metuchen and Newark dioceses paid between 2005 and 2007 to priests allegedly abused by McCarrick, totaling $180,000. However, Checchio and Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin never disclosed this settlement information.
Support for Fr. James Martin and pro-LGBT groups
The new archbishop of New Orleans has also shown support for heterodox Jesuit priest Father James Martin. In 2018, he invited Martin to speak in the diocese and even extended an invitation to his private residence before the talk.
“Martin gushed about it on Twitter, thanking Checchio for standing against ‘hateful’ critics while promoting his pro-LGBT message,” LifeSiteNews Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen noted in a video posted on X.
Pope Leo appoints another LGBT Bishop in America.
The new Archbishop of New Orleans — Bishop Checchio, openly supports James Martin and his LGBT message.https://t.co/EslhmxlrH6 pic.twitter.com/Nb6CMornfk
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) February 12, 2026
Checchio has also allowed the dissident pro-LGBT ministry “In God’s image” at the Church of the Sacred Heart in South Plainfield.
“‘In God’s Image’ is the parish faith sharing group for Catholic gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning persons 18 and over and their families,” the ministry’s webpage, which features rainbow imagery, states.
Westen emphasized that inviting this heterodox group into the diocese is “straight out of Martin’s playbook,” that “softens doctrine on homosexuality and (sows) confusion among the faithful.”
Support and suppression of TLM
Checchio has a mixed record on supporting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in Metuchen. In 2022, the bishop suppressed the TLM at Corpus Christi Church without providing a public explanation.
On the other hand, Checchio has shown support for other Tridentine Masses, celebrating one at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan earlier this year.
Bishop Checchio celebrated a traditional Latin Mass for the faithful at the historic Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan on Sunday, March 2nd.
📸: John Batkowski / @CathSpiritNJ pic.twitter.com/hipI6JYUTY
— Diocese of Metuchen (@diocesemetuchen) March 3, 2025
READ: Latin Mass will be suppressed at New Jersey church a year after Pope Francis’ crackdown
In addition to his diocesan assignments, Checchio has served as the treasurer for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) since 2022.
The bishop holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a Master of Business Administration degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia, and a Doctorate of Canon Law and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was previously named a chaplain to His Holiness by Pope John Paul II in 2000, which granted him the title of monsignor, and was named a prelate of honor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans, which Checchio will now lead, has faced a massive sex abuse scandal, offering a whopping $230 million settlement to abuse victims last fall.
This story is developing…