Pataki's induction into Freemasonry - the world's oldest and largest secret society, with members like George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Gerald Ford - had been trumpeted as "historic" and was expected to occur at a formal and secret June ceremony at the historic Grand Lodge in Manhattan.

But the Masons - who received a pre-November election commitment from Pataki to join their organization - are now being notified that the governor, a Roman Catholic, won't be coming, said spokeswoman Lisa Stoll.

A May 13 notice on the New York Mason's Web site is headlined "Gov. George Pataki to become a Mason."

Pataki's expected induction into the Masons stirred an undercurrent of controversy within the Catholic Church, especially among New York Catholics familiar with longstanding church teaching against the Masons.

A recent article in The Wanderer, a conservative Catholic publication, said Pataki's pending induction as a Mason "underlines his estrangement from the Catholic Church, from which he has differences on such major issues as state funding for abortions and homosexual rights."

A formal Vatican ruling, approved by Pope John Paul II and made available to The Post by a prominent New York Catholic, forbids membership in the Masons, declaring, "The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion."

A source said Pataki agreed to become a Mason at the suggestion of one of his on-the-state-payroll "community-relations specialists," William Hetzler, himself a Mason, and the governor was not familiar at the time with the Catholic Church's view of Freemasonry.

"He was asked to join the Masons, but out of deference to his church, the invitation is being respectfully declined," spokeswoman Stoll told The Post.

No comment yet from the Masons.

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Republican lawmakers are still shaking their heads over Pataki's claims that he worked hard to convince them not to override his vetoes of the Legislature's tax-and-spend budget.

"I received one message on my cell phone saying the governor was trying to reach me," recalled Sen. Hugh Farley of Schenectady, seen by many as at least potentially prepared to side with Pataki.

"I returned the call and was told that the governor wasn't taking any calls. And that's the last I heard from him," Farley continued.

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Senate Minority Leader David Paterson (D-Manhattan) is accusing Sen. Martin Connor (D-Brooklyn) of stirring up animosities between Jews and blacks.

Connor, who was defeated as Democratic leader by Paterson late last year, sent a letter to a Brooklyn Hasidic organization earlier this year saying he may not be able to get the group any more state funds because "you must be aware the Sharpton-led coup resulted in my losing the minority leadership."

"Al Sharpton's name is a lightning rod to the Jewish community," said Paterson.

Connor called Paterson's charge "bull crap" and said his letter "allowed the facts to speak for themselves."