Mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani is facing increasing scrutiny over his apparent indifference towards the Catholics of the city, particularly for missing the installation Mass of Archbishop Ronald Hicks as Archbishop of New York.
Archbishop Hicks was installed on February 6 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, among 68 bishops, 13 archbishops and six cardinals, as well as 2,200 well-wishers including interfaith leaders and politicians.
However, Mamdani did not attend. In a brief post on X, he congratulated Archbishop Hicks, noting that they “share a deep and abiding commitment to the dignity of every human being” and that he looked forward to working together to create a more just and compassionate city where every New Yorker can thrive.
When questioned by the press about missing the event at the opening of a public sports and community facility in Brooklyn, he explained: “I wasn’t able to make that event, but I do look forward to sitting down with the Archbishop, and I’m so excited, frankly, at his leadership in this city.” The explanation will likely do little to quell Catholic outrage, with no substantial reason given and with Mamdani also appearing to be unaware that Archbishop Hicks is not a cardinal.
Further questioning prompted a City Hall representative to state that Mamdani had a scheduling conflict; however, no information was given about the event which took precedence.
Reacting to the controversy, former New York mayor Eric Adams said: “Our religious communities are foundational to New York City, and the Catholic Church’s daily service to our city is indispensable. As your former mayor, I proudly share the gratitude of countless New Yorkers and extend a warm welcome to Archbishop Ronald Hicks.”
The absence makes Mamdani the first mayor of New York in nearly a century to miss the installation of the city’s archbishop. As far back as 1939, when the non-Catholic Fiorello La Guardia attended the installation of Archbishop Francis Spellman, mayors have attended the installations of archbishops of the city.
There have also been other noticeable incidents suggesting indifference towards the city’s 2.5 million Catholics. At his inauguration in January, no Catholic clergy or representatives were invited.
Similarly, at the annual interfaith breakfast organised by the mayor’s office, where 400 faith and community leaders gathered, no Catholic clergy or representatives were present. The breakfast opened with reflections from two Muslim representatives, continued with a reflection from the daughter of the Rev William Augustus Jones Jr, followed by speeches from Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Lutheran representatives, and another Muslim representative, before Mamdani gave his closing remarks.
Archbishop Hicks now serves as the city’s 11th archbishop and brings with him extensive Catholic leadership experience. Prior to being consecrated as a bishop, he was vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He then served as an auxiliary bishop to the archdiocese’s 2.2 million Catholics, before being appointed bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. Speaking on Fox News, the former Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, described his successor as “extraordinarily impressive” and said that his appointment had filled him with gratitude.
