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.
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.