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Prominent Catholic leader Bishop Robert Barron criticizes New York's socialist mayor Zoran MamdaniThe president's inaugural phrase, promoting the “warmth of collectivism,” reads: “For God's sake, have mercy on me.”
In his inaugural address, the newly minted socialist mayor and New York's first Muslim mayor declared: “We will replace the coldness of rugged individualism with warmth of collectivism“
The line prompted immediate backlash from many conservatives, who expressed dismay at such a line coming from the leader of America's largest city.
Barron, popular podcaster and founder of Word on Fire. took it to X write that Mamdani’s statement “took my breath away.”
MAMDANI TOOK THE OATH OF A.G. JAMES AT A PRIVATE MIDNIGHT CEREMONY
Mamdani is sworn in as mayor on a pair of family Korans. (Amir Hamja/Pool via Reuters)
“He said he intended to replace “the coldness of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” Collectivism in its various forms is responsible for the deaths of at least one hundred million people in the last century,” Barron wrote.
“For God’s sake, spare me the ‘warmth of collectivism,’” he said.
“Socialist and communist forms of government around the world today—Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, etc.—are disastrous,” Barron explained, noting that “Catholic social teaching has consistently condemned socialism and embraced market economics, which people like Mamdani caricatured as ‘rugged individualism.”
Barron said that “it is really an economic system based on the rights, freedom and dignity of the human person.”
Bishop Robert Barron is a prominent Catholic figure and host of a popular podcast. (Bishop Robert Barron YouTube Channel)
Barron wasn't the only one to express dismay at Mamdani's statement.
Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis wrote on X that the “warmth” of collectivism “always requires coercion and force.”
“How many have died in the last 100 years due to collectivist ideologies?” DeSantis added.
Sep. Ted CruzThe Texas Republican chimed in: “When communists rule, individual rights are—invariably—taken away.”
Since being sworn in at midnight on New Year's Day, Mamdani has already taken several controversial actions, including prosecuting urban homeowners and housing construction through new presidential decrees.
Mamdani announced three housing-related executive orders, starting with the revival of the Mayor's Office of Tenant Protection, which he said would focus on resolving complaints and holding landlords accountable for dangerous conditions.
The second order creates a LIFT task force, or land inventory team, to utilize city-owned land and speed up housing development, Mamdani said. He said the task force will review city-owned properties and identify sites suitable for housing development no later than July 1.
NEW YORK'S SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI WAS INAUGURED WITH BERNIE SANDERS AND AOK ON NEW YEAR'S FIRST DAY
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces his first executive order on Thursday, January 1st. (Fox News/Poole)
The third decree creates the SPEED working group, which Mamdani said stands for streamlining procedures to accelerate equitable development. He said the task force will work to remove permitting barriers that slow home construction.
Both task forces will be overseen by Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Lila Joseph, he said.
Mamdani was also criticized for canceling all orders from his predecessor, the mayor Eric Adamsincluding one that prohibited city agencies from boycotting or withdrawing funds from Israel.
Another rescinded order directed the NYPD to increase control of religious sites by creating protest-free buffer zones near churches, synagogues and mosques.
NEW YORK MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI doubles down on promise to arrest Netanyahu
The runway gets ready for election night with Zoran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate (not photo), at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, USA, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
These reviews were criticized by the city's right-wing Jewish leaders.
Critics such as Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., accused Mamdani of being a terrorist sympathizer.
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He has repeatedly called Israel an apartheid state, accused it of genocide in the Gaza Strip and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested. Mamdani also said he would not tolerate anti-Semitism in New York and pledged to increase funding to combat hate crimes.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
