Dolan is installed as archbishop in New York

Asked at a news conference before his installation how he would handle controversial issues such as same-sex marriage, the former archbishop of Milwaukee said he would have plenty to say, but not on his first day in the job.

Dolan said he did not like the term "bully pulpit," which has been used to describe his job, but added "I won't shy away from the fact that . . . the pulpit of the archbishop of New York does have perhaps an enhanced prominence."

The 59-year-old St. Louis native is expected to advance issues like poverty relief and opposition to abortion.

Dolan, like other prominent US Catholic leaders, faces enormous challenges, including healing wounds from a sexual abuse scandal that cost the US church some $2 billion in settlement payments with victims.

He said the church had made "tremendous progress" in dealing with abusive priests and taking measures to stop future abuse, and promised to support efforts to help victims.

"We have got to resist the temptation to say 'OK, good, that's behind us.' We've got a lot of credibility to regain, we've got a lot of trust to regain," Dolan said.

Dolan replaces the more restrained Cardinal Edward Egan, retiring after nearly nine years as archbishop.

Dolan's priorities include reversing the drift of Catholics away from the church, addressing declining attendance at Mass, and the dearth of young men choosing the priesthood.

The New York Times said last month that Latinos account for at least half the Catholics in New York, yet Dolan was the 10th consecutive Irish-American to be installed in St. Patrick's Cathedral, named after the patron saint of Ireland.