NYC Mayor Mamdani Breaks 86-Year Tradition, Freezes Out Catholic Clergy — Dolan Is ‘Ticked Off’ – RedState
For nearly a century, New York City mayors have watched the installation of a new archbishop. Through war, fiscal collapse, crime waves and cultural upheaval, they emerged.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not do so.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the new mayor excluded Catholic clergy from his Jan. 1 inauguration and then ignored the installation of Archbishop Ronald Hicks, Dolan’s successor. Dolan didn’t downplay what that meant.
“So far, we’ve been upset that he hasn’t done it. I’ve been upset that he hasn’t invited me to his inauguration. You know, most of the time the Archbishop of New York, among other religious leaders, is invited. I’ve been upset that he hasn’t had, he had few, few, few, few, few Catholics on his transition team. Okay? And then I’ve been really upset that he did not show up to the installation, my successor This defied precedent, the mayor did not show up to the installation.
The word is a precedent.
The tradition of mayors attending the installation of the archbishop dates back to 1939. This civic custom has survived world wars and political realignments. He did not survive the first weeks of Mamdani’s mandate.
This was not a minor oversight. The Catholic Church is not a marginal presence in New York.
“About one-third (32%) of adults in the New York metropolitan area identified as Catholic, according to 2023-24 data from the Pew Research Center. »
A third of the metropolitan area is Catholic. No Catholic clergy were invited to the inauguration. The mayor did not attend the installation of the city’s archbishop. These are facts.
Dolan framed the issue through the lens of civic respect, not institutional ego.
“One of the many things I love about New York is the friendship between different religions. We all come together. We all appreciate each other. The ecumenical and interfaith health of this city is phenomenal. That’s why I introduce myself to each of them and they introduce themselves. And political leaders always introduce themselves, not because of the influence of the Catholic Church, if it has any left, but simply out of respect for the fact that a large portion of the citizens of this great city profess the one saint, the Catholic and Apostolic Church as their family of religious choice, and that the Church has an incredible role to play in the social fabric of this metropolis.
New York’s political class has been at odds with the archdiocese before. Violently. On abortion. On marriage. On education. On the police. But these fights took place in a common civic arena where leaders still recognize the role of the city’s largest Christian community.
Mamdani also openly identifies as a socialist. Dolan addressed this topic directly.
“They should bristle if someone identifies as a socialist. This is not part of a process that is somehow the opposite of what America is.”
The cardinal said Mamdani described himself as an “economic socialist.” But when the same mayor who embraces that label freezes Catholic clergy and breaks a civic practice that predates most living New Yorkers, the message is hard to ignore.
Learn more: Cardinal Dolan APPLAUDS Governor Cuomo
Mamdani’s Socialist Education Agenda Will Further Harm New York Public School Students
Dolan’s language was not diplomatic.
“Checked.”
“A precedent challenged. »
“They should bristle.”
In a city where nearly a third of the population identifies as Catholic, this is not a ceremonial tension. It’s a public break.
Editor’s Note: Zohran Mamdani is an avowed democratic socialist whose policies are wreaking havoc in New York.
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