During a Tuesday interfaith national prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, Episcopal bishop, Rev. Mariann Budde, directly addressed President Trump who was sitting in the congregation with Vice-President JD Vance and their families.
Rev Budde asked the new president to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”
Budde's pleaded for “gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families,” across the country “who fear for their lives.”
She also spoke up for immigrant workers, saying that the vast majority of them are “not criminals” but rather “good neighbors.”
In the video, President Trump and his entourage seemed visibly uncomfortable with Bishop Budde's soft spoken confrontation (see below).
Many welcomed Rev. Budde's conciliatory plea for compassion and empathy, especially against a political backdrop predicated on generalizations about minority groups that have sparked fear, resentment, and hate.
While Christian nationalists have seemingly embraced the new President, many view his policies and rhetoric as antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Even though the President and those in his administration are quick to evoke Christ publicly, compassion and empathy seem to be missing in their approach to and execution of policy.
Compassion should not be political.
Rev. Budde is not new to the church and being a voice for the vulnerable. She spent 18 years as a rector at a Minneapolis church, growing membership by 400%. She was later promoted to bishop at the National Cathedral in 2011. Rev. Budde is Washington's first elected female diocesan bishop.
Bishop Budde is married to professional musician, Paul Budde. She received her Doctor of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary.
The Washington National Cathedral service was focused primarily on national unity.
In her sermon, Budde said the church gathering was “to pray for unity as a people and a nation... across diversity and division.”
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