Commie Mayor INFURIATES Catholic Leadership – Church Clergy Rages

New York City’s first Muslim mayor has ignited a firestorm by breaking an 87-year tradition and systematically excluding Catholic leaders from city events, leaving the archdiocese questioning whether they’re being deliberately frozen out of City Hall.

Story Snapshot

Mayor Zohran Mamdani skipped Archbishop Roland Hicks’ February 6, 2026 installation—the first mayoral absence since at least 1939
Catholic clergy were excluded from Mamdani’s inauguration, interfaith breakfast, and key city events despite Catholics comprising one-third of NYC’s population
Mamdani appointed Ceyenne Doroshow to his inaugural committee—the transgender activist who led a controversial funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral deemed “sacrilegious” by church officials
Catholic League president Bill Donohue calls it the third deliberate “stiffing” of Catholics, accusing the mayor of harboring anti-Catholic bias
Major Jewish organizations withdrew sponsorship from Mamdani’s interfaith breakfast over the exclusions

Breaking Decades of Mayoral Protocol

Every New York City mayor since 1939 has attended the installation of new Catholic archbishops. The tradition reflects common sense civic leadership in a city where 2.5 million Catholics—roughly one in three residents—rely on the Archdiocese for schools, hospitals, and social services. Mayor Mamdani shattered that protocol on February 6, 2026, becoming the first mayor in 87 years to skip the ceremony installing Archbishop Roland Hicks. His absence wasn’t a quiet oversight. It came hours after hosting an interfaith breakfast that conspicuously featured no Catholic priests despite inviting leaders from other faiths.

The Pattern That Sparked Outrage

The installation snub followed a troubling pattern. Mamdani’s January 2026 inauguration excluded Catholic clergy from speaking roles entirely. His interfaith breakfast focused on immigration advocacy with distribution of “Know Your Rights” guides for dealing with ICE, but Catholic leaders received no invitation. Queens City Councilwoman Joann Ariola didn’t mince words, declaring that Mamdani’s “mask is starting to slip” and linking his disdain to communist-style hostility toward faith. The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue went further, branding the mayor’s actions “outrageous” and accusing him of hiring “anti-Catholic bigots” for key positions.

The Doroshow Appointment Controversy

Mamdani’s decision to appoint Ceyenne Doroshow to his inaugural committee poured gasoline on smoldering tensions. Doroshow presided over a February 2024 funeral for transgender activist Cecilia Gentili at St. Patrick’s Cathedral that church officials later condemned as deceptive and sacrilegious. The event blindsided cathedral leadership and outraged Catholic faithful. Selecting someone tied to that controversy for a prominent inaugural role signaled either tone-deaf indifference or calculated provocation. Either interpretation undermines Mamdani’s claims of fostering unity. Princeton professor Robert George thanked the mayor for his “candor” in revealing a lack of respect for Catholic New Yorkers.

When Diversity Rhetoric Meets Selective Inclusion

Mamdani campaigned on diversity and inclusion, yet his interfaith outreach systematically bypassed the city’s largest religious denomination. The UJA-Federation, New York Board of Rabbis, and Anti-Defamation League withdrew sponsorship from his interfaith breakfast, suggesting concerns extended beyond Catholic circles. Former Mayor Eric Adams, who governed from 2021 to 2025, consistently praised the Church as “foundational” to city services. Mamdani’s approach represents a sharp departure. His defenders cite scheduling conflicts for missing the installation, but he offered no details and mistakenly referred to Archbishop Hicks as “cardinal” in subsequent remarks, raising questions about whether he understands Catholic hierarchy or simply doesn’t care.

Political Fallout and Lingering Questions

Mamdani posted congratulations to Hicks on social media the day of the installation and later claimed he looked forward to meeting the archbishop. As of mid-February 2026, no such meeting had occurred. The mayor’s progressive focus on immigrant rights and social justice doesn’t inherently conflict with Catholic social teaching, which emphasizes care for the vulnerable. The exclusions therefore appear ideological rather than practical. Catholic advocacy organizations are watching closely, and the archdiocese holds significant moral and community influence. Alienating Catholic voters and leaders in a city where they form the largest faith community carries steep political risks, especially when coalition-building determines success in New York’s complex political landscape.

Why This Matters Beyond City Limits

The Mamdani controversy exposes broader tensions between progressive urban governance and traditional religious communities. Catholics operate extensive networks of schools, hospitals, and charities that government cannot easily replace. Treating church leaders as obstacles rather than partners undermines civic cohesion. The fact that Jewish organizations also withdrew support suggests the problem transcends Catholic-Muslim dynamics. Conservative observers see the pattern as emblematic of secular progressive hostility to faith-based institutions that refuse to bend on fundamental teachings. Mamdani inherited a collaborative relationship with the archdiocese; his predecessor recognized the Church’s indispensable role. Rebuilding that partnership requires acknowledging missteps, not dismissing legitimate grievances as scheduling mishaps or partisan attacks.