Mamdani takes heat over skipping decades-long tradition of attending Catholic archbishop installation ceremony

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after he decided to skip Friday's investiture of the new Catholic archbishop of the city, Ronald Hicks, at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

In a Friday editorial from the New York Daily News, the outlet tore into Mamdani for failing to attend the new archbishop's installation ceremony, becoming the first city mayor to do so in several decades.

"Mayor Mamdani was wrong and frankly rude to skip Friday’s investiture of the new Catholic archbishop of New York, Ronald Hicks. As leader of the city — the whole city — it is important for the mayor — any mayor — to participate in the major milestones of our varied communities and here Mamdani failed," the editorial board wrote.

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As noted by the Daily News, the installation of a new archbishop is a "significant event for New York Catholics and for all New Yorkers, and even all Americans," as the New York archbishop is widely seen as the "de facto leader of the American church."

The outlet argued that the mayor "broke new ground with his absence from the ceremony at St. Patrick’s," considering the long-honored tradition of New York City mayors attending the event.

"Every mayor going back as far as we can find has been present for the arrival of a new archbishop. Perhaps Mamdani could have made amends by going to the first mass celebrated by Hicks yesterday. But he didn’t do that either," the Daily News noted.

When asked about Mamdani's absence from the ceremony, Hicks responded that while he hadn't spoken to the mayor yet, he looked forward to doing so.

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The Daily News railed that it was "outrageous" Mamdani hadn't yet spoken with the new archbishop, arguing that he's had more than enough time to do so.

"It was on Dec. 18 when fellow Chicagoan, Pope Leo XIV, tapped Hicks to take over in New York from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has served 17 years. That was when Mamdani, as mayor-elect, should have made a congratulatory phone call to Hicks in Joliet, Ill., welcoming him to New York," the outlet contended, adding that "Mamdani had 50 days notice" of the installation ceremony.

Despite attending the mayor’s annual prayer breakfast Friday morning at the Main Branch of the New York Public Library, less than 10 blocks from St. Patrick's, the outlet argued that "he could have attended the investiture in the afternoon."

"We know that someone around the mayor carefully keeps track of his days in office, with a sign counting up. Friday was "37 days of a new era." A new era of what? Rudeness? Disrespect? Ignorance?" the Daily News questioned.

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The outlet also compared Mamdani's decision to skip the installation ceremony to former Vice President Kamala Harris' "big mistake" of declining former New York City's Archbishop Timothy Dolan's invitation to attend the annual Al Smith Dinner alongside President Donald Trump.

"Mamdani should not follow her bad example. He should rent a white tie tux and be up on the dais every fall for the next four years," the Daily News asserted. "The next dinner is Oct. 15, a Thursday, at the Waldorf. See you there, Mr. Mayor."

The New York Post similarly criticized the mayor's absence from the ceremony, arguing that Mamdani "committed a cardinal sin last week by dissing millions of area Catholics as the first city mayor in nearly 100 years — and possibly ever — to skip the local archbishop’s installation."

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The Post highlighted that "City Hall ignored several outreach attempts" by the outlet to comment on his "conspicuous absence from the ceremony, which started at 2 p.m." — well after his prayer breakfast Friday morning.

"After publication, a City Hall spokesperson said the two would be talking on Tuesday and that Mamdani had a scheduling conflict, so instead sent one of his deputy mayors, who is Catholic," the Post reported.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Mamdani for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Former Mayor Eric Adams also weighed in on Mamdani's absence, reposting the Post's article on X, saying, "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 reflect the gratitude of countless New Yorkers and extend a warm welcome to Archbishop Ronald Hicks," he added.