Bring in the lip reader!

Cardinal Timothy Dolan was seen sharing a whispered moment with a beaming Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday. The two exchanged a warm embrace shortly after Dolan, the former Archbishop of New York, took the oath as one of the NYPD’s newly appointed chaplains.

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This friendly encounter followed Dolan’s admission of feeling “annoyed” over not being invited to Mamdani’s mayoral inauguration. Additionally, Dolan felt slighted by being overlooked at the ceremony for his successor, Archbishop Ronald Hicks.

“Typically, the Archbishop of New York, along with other religious leaders, receives an invitation,” Dolan shared with Eternal Word Television Network two weeks ago regarding the inauguration.

“I was particularly upset that he didn’t attend the installation event for my successor,” he continued.

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.”

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.”