Mayor Zohran Mamdani just delivered a political slap to the face of 2.5 million Catholics across New York City. The rookie mayor made history last Friday—for all the wrong reasons—by becoming the first sitting mayor in nearly a century to blow off the installation of the city’s new Catholic archbishop. While Archbishop Ronald Hicks accepted leadership of one of America’s largest Catholic archdioceses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Mamdani was nowhere to be found.
Here’s what makes this snub even more outrageous: Mamdani had time that same day to tweet about World Hijab Day and show up to an interfaith breakfast just hours before the ceremony. The cathedral was literally a short walk up Fifth Avenue from his morning event. Instead of honoring a tradition dating back to Mayor LaGuardia in 1939, Mamdani sent a deputy mayor and fired off a lukewarm tweet calling it an ‘installment’—not even getting the word ‘installation’ right.
The backlash hit immediately and hard. New York’s Catholic League didn’t mince words: ‘Mamdani has been in office for just over a month, and already he is signaling to Catholics that they are not welcome.’ Even secular political veterans are calling it a massive unforced error. Former Bloomberg advisor Bill Cunningham nailed it perfectly—this was a ‘missed opportunity for the mayor to show he wants to serve all segments of the city.’
What’s particularly striking is how this breaks with decades of bipartisan tradition. Jewish mayors like Bloomberg and Ed Koch showed up. Catholic mayors like Giuliani were there. Faith didn’t matter—respect for the city’s diverse communities did. But when City Hall was pressed about the absence, a spokesperson offered the most tone-deaf response imaginable: ‘The mayor didn’t go but he tweeted about it.’
Mamdani better wake up fast. You can’t govern a city of 8.3 million people by playing favorites with religious communities. Catholics in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island are watching—and they vote. This isn’t just about one missed ceremony; it’s about whether New York’s newest mayor understands that leadership means showing up for everyone, not just the groups that align with your personal politics.
Source: nypost.com