Mayor Adams’ St. Patrick’s Day Message to Critics of His Faith: “Deal With It”

Mayor Adams on Friday told New Yorkers to “get over it” if they are annoyed by his recent move to make religion the centerpiece of the city’s identity, doubling down on a message that has angered some local community leaders.

The mayor, who first got angry last month after saying he doesn’t believe in separation of church and state, made the cheeky remark after attending morning mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown, Manhattan.

“Some people see me go to Mass and get upset because I believe in God and the faith, but, you know, all I can say is get over it,” Adams said in a live Q104.3 radio interview. from Connolly. A pub that was packed to capacity ahead of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “Faith is what lives, inspires and moves us.”

The Christian mayor acknowledged that his predecessors “didn’t really express their firm faith in the faith as much as I did.”

“But if you watched my journey and understood how broken I was as a child – only faith can take me to where I am,” he said. “In order to go from this brokenness to the mayor of the greatest city on the globe, I wake up every day and thank God for this… Right now this city needs prayer, and we must pray together.”

Civil rights advocates and some clergy said they were unnerved by Adams’ mixing of politics and religion. Emphasizing that the mayor can let faith inspire his approach to governance, New York City Civil Liberties Union chief executive Donna Lieberman said earlier this month that his message suggests “he doesn’t respect the separation of church and state.”

Since the church-state controversy arose, Adams attempted to clarify his remarks, including saying on March 5 that “government should not interfere with religion, and religion should not interfere with government.”

But he continues to call for more faith in city government, suggesting on Wednesday that houses of worship help recruit “God-fearing young men and women” into the NYPD. On Thursday, he said his mission is to turn the city into a “place of God.”

During a radio interview with Connolly, Adams was served a freshly poured pint of Guinness, which he took several sips before putting it aside.

“I drink this glass of water [instead]he joked to radio host Jim Kerr.

The mayor, who is mostly vegan, was asked to name his favorite Irish dish.

“I don’t mean to offend the Irish spirit, but I have this vegan kale mix that I make with my little burger, vegan burger, but you know, you won’t even know it’s vegan when you eat it, trust me,” he said. He. “But I think today people make corned beef.”

After Connolly’s, Adams, who donned a green shamrock tie, headed to another nearby Irish restaurant, Mulligan’s Pub, where he chatted with St. Patrick’s Day revelers and took selfies with them.

The mayor later marched in a St. Patrick’s Day parade down Fifth Avenue with FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh as thousands of onlookers lined the streets.

Kavanagh, the FDNY’s first female commissioner, has recently been mired in feuds with some seasoned fire chiefs unhappy with her leadership style, and complains that her supporters are ascribed to sexism within the ranks.

Adams, who stood next to Kavanagh, told reporters along the way of the parade that he was confident in her ability to reform a department that had long been run by men.

“Everyone knows how I feel about the commissioner. It will really move us forward,” he said.