New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after becoming the first sitting mayor in decades — and possibly ever — to skip the installation ceremony of the city’s Roman Catholic archbishop, a longstanding civic tradition dating back at least to the 1930s.
Ronald Hicks, 58, was formally installed Friday as the 11th archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York since 1850, assuming leadership from Cardinal Timothy Dolan during a ceremonial Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The event, attended by clergy, civic leaders and parishioners, marked a major moment for one of the largest Catholic populations in the United States.
Historically, New York City’s mayor has attended such installations regardless of personal faith. Records show that Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was present at Cardinal Francis Spellman’s installation in 1939, and subsequent mayors — including Ed Koch, Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani — continued the practice. Bloomberg and Koch, both Jewish, attended installations during their tenures, underscoring the event’s civic rather than religious character.
Mamdani, however, did not attend the ceremony and instead acknowledged the occasion with a brief post on X.
“Congratulations to Archbishop Ronald Hicks on today’s installment and welcome to New York City,” Mamdani wrote Friday. He added that he looked forward to working with Hicks “to create a more just and compassionate city where every New Yorker can thrive.”
City Hall did not immediately respond to multiple inquiries about the mayor’s absence. After publication, a City Hall spokesperson said Mamdani had a scheduling conflict and sent a Catholic deputy mayor to attend in his place. The spokesperson added that Mamdani and Hicks were expected to speak Tuesday.
The mayor’s publicly released schedule for Friday listed an interfaith prayer breakfast at 10 a.m. and a winter weather press conference at 4 p.m. The installation ceremony began at 2 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a short walk from the site of the earlier breakfast.
The absence drew sharp criticism from Catholic leaders and political observers. The Catholic League said Mamdani’s decision sent an alienating message to Catholic New Yorkers.
“The mayor of New York City traditionally attends the installation of the new archbishop of New York, but Mamdani — who was invited — ghosted the event,” the group said in a statement, adding that it would have been easy for the mayor to attend between scheduled commitments.
Bill Cunningham, a former communications director and senior adviser to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, called the decision a “mistake.”
“It was a missed opportunity for the mayor to show he wants to serve all the segments of the city,” Cunningham said, noting the historical importance of the Catholic Church in New York’s civic life.
Former Giuliani campaign spokesman Ken Frydman also criticized Mamdani’s absence, arguing it reflected disregard for Catholic constituents.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is Catholic, did not attend the ceremony either, though she was in Syracuse at the time formally accepting her party’s nomination for another term.
The Archdiocese of New York encompasses Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and several counties north of the city and is home to an estimated 2.5 million Catholics. The installation of a new archbishop has traditionally been treated as a moment of broad civic significance, transcending religious affiliation.
Mamdani, who has been in office just over a month, has not publicly addressed the criticism beyond his social media post.
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