Wed Jan 22 11:10:44 UTC 2025: ## Bishop Urges Trump to Show Compassion for Marginalized Groups at Inaugural Service

**Washington D.C.** – During President Donald Trump’s inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on Monday, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde issued a direct plea for compassion towards marginalized communities. Addressing Trump directly, Bishop Budde implored him to show mercy to “the people in our country who are scared now,” specifically mentioning gay, lesbian, and transgender children, and undocumented immigrants. She highlighted the fear felt by these groups in the wake of Trump’s recent executive orders, including one that rolled back transgender rights and tightened immigration policies. The President, seated alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, reportedly dismissed the service as “unimpressive.”

Bishop Budde, the first woman to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, is a prominent advocate for social justice issues including gun violence prevention, racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. Her 18-year tenure as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, and her current leadership overseeing 86 Episcopal congregations and ten schools, have established her as a respected voice in the community. This is not the first time Bishop Budde has publicly challenged President Trump. In 2020, she criticized his use of the Bible as a political prop following the clearing of Lafayette Square protesters.

Trump’s inauguration day also saw the signing of an executive order aiming to eliminate birthright citizenship, a move further impacting undocumented immigrants and their families. Bishop Budde’s call for compassion underscores the ongoing tension between the President’s policies and the concerns of religious leaders advocating for the vulnerable within American society.

Read More