Islamo-leftist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn criticism after skipping the installation ceremony of Archbishop Ronald Hicks, becoming the first city mayor in nearly a century, and possibly ever, to miss the event.
Ronald Hicks, 58, was installed on Friday, 6 February 2026, as the 11th Archbishop of the New York Archdiocese since 1850, formally assuming leadership from Cardinal Timothy Dolan during a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral attended by a large gathering and marked by longstanding religious traditions.
Attendance by the sitting New York City mayor has historically been considered customary. The tradition dates back at least to 1939, when then-Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia attended the installation of Cardinal Francis Spellman. Successive mayors across faiths have continued the practice over decades.
Mamdani did not attend the ceremony. Instead, he marked the occasion through a post on X.
“Congratulations to Archbishop Ronald Hicks on today’s installment and welcome to New York City,” Mamdani wrote on 6 February 2026. “I know that Archbishop Hicks and I share a deep and abiding commitment to the dignity of every human being and look forward to working together to create a more just and compassionate city where every New Yorker can thrive.”
Congratulations to Archbishop Ronald Hicks on today’s installment and welcome to New York City.
I know that Archbishop Hicks and I share a deep and abiding commitment to the dignity of every human being and look forward to working together to create a more just and…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 6, 2026
City Hall initially did not respond to multiple press queries regarding the mayor’s absence. After reports were published, a spokesperson said Mamdani had a scheduling conflict and had deputed one of his deputy mayors, who is Catholic, to attend on behalf of the administration. The spokesperson also said the mayor and the archbishop were expected to speak subsequently.
The explanation has done little to quell criticism.
New York’s Catholic League said Mamdani, barely weeks into office, was already signaling that Catholics were not welcome. The group noted that the mayor had been invited but did not attend, adding that the installation took place just hours after an interfaith prayer breakfast, which Mamdani did attend, and that St. Patrick’s Cathedral was a short distance away.
It is noteworthy that Mamdani’s public messaging in the same week, included a post marking World Hijab Day and remarks referencing Islamic teachings at the interfaith breakfast.
February 1st is #WorldHijabDay! Today, we celebrate the faith, identity, & pride of Muslim women & girls around the word who choose to wear the hijab, a powerful symbol of devotion & celebration of Muslim heritage. pic.twitter.com/66YMVosNfT
— NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (@NYCImmigrants) February 2, 2026
View this post on Instagram
His absence from a major Catholic ceremony reflected selective engagement with religious communities.
This move is seen as a symbolic misstep in a city where Catholics form a major voting and cultural bloc.
Bill Cunningham, former communications director and senior adviser to ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, described the absence as a mistake, saying it represented a missed opportunity for Mamdani to signal that he intended to serve all communities. He added that institutions like the Catholic Church carried historic civic weight and that Catholics paid close attention to how their institutions were treated.
Historically, mayoral attendance at archbishop installations has transcended personal belief. Bloomberg, who is Jewish, attended installations during his tenure, as did former Mayor Ed Koch. Koch was present at Cardinal John O’Connor’s installation in 1984, while Catholic Mayor Rudy Giuliani attended Cardinal Edward Egan’s installation in 2000.
Ken Frydman, a spokesman for Giuliani’s 1993 campaign, criticised Mamdani’s absence, suggesting it reflected a broader pattern of disregard toward religious constituencies, including Catholic New Yorkers.
The New York Archdiocese, spanning Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and several northern counties, serves an estimated 2.5 million Catholics, making it one of the largest Catholic populations in the United States.
Source: NY Post
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