Millions of people, not only from the Sates but beyond, watched the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Among the rest, the bishop’s sermon captured the attention of many by addressing topics that shocked listeners at such an event
During the sermon she delivered, Bishop Mariann Budde directly addressed President Donald Trump with a few requests.
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President,” the bishop said in the latter part of her 15-minute sermon. “Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God.”
She urged Trump to have mercy on the people who fear for their future. Saying this, she appeared to have glanced at the president.
“There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” referring to the concerns of the LGBTQIA+ community regarding Trump’s administration.
In her sermon, she addressed several of the executive orders signed by Trump. These included one recognizing the biological distinction between men and women, another declaring a national emergency at the country’s southern border, and several immigration-related orders, such as ending birthright citizenship.
She highlighted the contributions of immigrants, saying, “The people who pick our crops, clean our office buildings, labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, wash dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work night shifts in hospitals—they may not be citizens or have proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors.”
Bishop Budde has been critical of Trump in the past.
In 2020, after Trump posed with a Bible outside St. John’s Episcopal Church following the dispersal of racial justice protesters with chemical agents, the bishop condemned his actions, stating: “Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence… We need moral leadership, and he’s done everything to divide us.”
During the sermon in question, the bishop made a heartfelt plea: “I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away. Help those fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.” She emphasized the teachings of faith, saying, “Our God calls us to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”
Asked what he thought of the bishop’s sermon, President Trump said he “didn’t think it was a good service.”
Republican U.S. Representative Mike Collins from Georgia commented the bishop’s service on the social media. He wrote, “The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”
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