Cardinal Timothy Dolan was spotted whispering into a smiling Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ear Wednesday as the two embraced after the ex-New York Archbishop’s swearing-in as one of two new NYPD chaplains.
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The chummy moment came after Dolan’s recently copped to being “ticked off” that Mamdani didn’t invite him to the mayoral inauguration, as well as snubbed the installation of his successor, Archbishop Ronald Hicks.
“Most of the time, the Archbishop of New York, among other religious leaders, gets invited,” Dolan told Eternal Word Television Network two weeks ago about the inauguration.
“And then I was really ticked off that he didn’t show up at the installation of my successor,” he added.
But all appeared cordial between Dolan, who served as the head of the Archdiocese of New York for 17 years before his retirement, and Mamdani when they appeared on stage together at the packed 1 Police Plaza ceremony.
Dolan and the Reverend A.R. Bernard, who presides over the 37,000-member Christian Cultural Center, assumed their new roles as NYPD co-chaplains.
“Well, I guess now I have two badges, this venerated shield of the NYPD and the cross of Christ,” Dolan said. “Both will both go over a heart, my heart – a heart which now belongs to all of you.”
The ceremony also proved potentially awkward for Mamdani as it was the first time he publicly appeared with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch after the pair gave diametrically opposed responses to cops being pelted with snowballs in Washington Square Park.
Mamdani dismissed the frozen fracas as nothing more than a “snowball fight that got out of hand,” while Tisch thundered, “I certainly will not tolerate any attacks on my cops, period.”
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Hizzoner, alongside Tisch, welcomed Dolan and Bernard into their new roles.
He described the pair as “no stranger to police work.”
“Instead of preaching from the pulpit, it will be like two officers on the beat, perhaps not only in service of the department, but in fact, to all of our city,” Mamdani said. “I am proud to count you both among the ranks of our city’s public servants.”
