Summary
Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal bishop at the Washington National Cathedral, directly confronted Donald Trump during his inaugural prayer service, urging him to show compassion for marginalized groups.
She criticized his policies on LGBTQ rights, mass deportations, and immigration, calling for mercy toward undocumented immigrants and children fearing family separation.
Trump dismissed the sermon as “not too exciting,” while his supporters condemned Budde’s remarks as inappropriate.
Budde’s bold address marked the first public challenge to Trump’s agenda during his second term.
I think he said “not too exciting” because he didn’t hear a word she said. Maybe he quickly perked up if “Mr. President” made it through his ears, but I doubt she kept his attention for long because the title wasn’t included in praise.
She’s very brave, and I honestly wish I could shake her hand. I don’t know about Episcopalians, but for many faiths being a Bishop is just as much a political position as anything else.
Episcopalians are functionally like a more equality oriented catholic. Gay marriage is chill, women can be priests, divorce is chill. That type of stuff
This comment together with the other reply to me are interesting taken together. Why have administrations been so “conservative” if they have such a progressive faith in common?
To tack onto the other comment about divisions. The episcopal church in the middle of a schism, with a lot of churches leaving and forming what are called Continuing Anglican churches, the largest of which (to my knowledge) is the Anglican Church in North America, or the ACNA. Personally, I think they’re kinda dicks, as a denomination. Left mainly over gay priests and women’s ordination. The episcopal church is fairly progressive of late, though not always historically. They’re a member church of the Anglican Communion, churches derived from the church of England.
I’ve never been prouder to be an Episcopal than I was when I heard her speech. But I’m not foolish enough to think it’ll make any difference. I doubt the religiosity, genuine faith, of really any of modern presidents, but trump especially clearly has no real beliefs.
Well, it’s basically an offshoot of the church of England, which may explain why it’s so overrepresented. Got brought along to the colonies.
Also I wouldn’t call it a progressive faith per se, historically speaking. Iirc there were a lot of internal divisions and different groups splintered off and formed their own things when the pro LGBT stuff was initially decided. So it’s hard to say what an Episcopalian from say 100 years ago might have in common with the modern church
the Episcopal church is the largest single denomination between all the presidents, so it’s pretty influential in that sense.