In a poignant moment at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, directly addressed President Donald Trump during a Service of Prayer for the Nation. She urged him to show mercy and compassion toward marginalized groups, including LGBT individuals and undocumented immigrants.
President Trump, seated in the front row alongside First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance, listened as Budde appealed for understanding and humanity in his policies.
“In the Name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said in her sermon. “There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.”
Highlighting the plight of undocumented immigrants, Budde continued, “The people who pick our crops, clean our office buildings, labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, and wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants may not have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.”
She also spoke of families torn apart by immigration enforcement and urged Trump to extend compassion to those fleeing war and persecution, referencing the biblical command to “be merciful to the stranger.”
Budde’s sermon focused on unity and the need for civil discourse, lamenting what she described as a “culture of contempt” in political debates. She expressed concern about the erosion of equality and called on leaders to honor the dignity of every individual.
“May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God,” she concluded.
Budde has been a vocal critic of Trump in the past. In 2020, she condemned his use of St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo opportunity after protesters set fire to part of the church. At the time, Budde stated, “The President just used a Bible and one of the churches of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.”
Tuesday’s service, a longstanding tradition held the day after the presidential inauguration since 1933, included prayers and readings from various faiths. Alongside Christian liturgy, the event featured a Jewish cantor, a Muslim call to prayer, and readings by representatives of other religions.
Clergy offered prayers for the nation’s leaders, armed forces, first responders, and the Supreme Court justices. Budde’s sermon drew on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing reconciliation and compassion as guiding principles for the nation’s leadership.
The National Cathedral has a history of hosting events aimed at fostering unity. Last year, it held an Election Day prayer vigil to promote hope amid political division.
“The breach in our public life requires us to take on the work of reconciliation,” said the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, last year. “Jesus’ command is very clear: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.’ That is a tall order.”
Source: The Christian Post
