Millions of people from the United States and around the world tuned in to watch the inauguration of President Donald Trump. One part of the event that really stood out was the bishop’s sermon, which surprised many listeners by discussing some intense topics.
During her sermon, Bishop Mariann Budde made a heartfelt appeal directly to President Trump.
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President,” she said towards the end of her 15-minute speech. “Millions have put their trust in you. And as you mentioned to the nation yesterday, you have felt the guiding hand of a loving God.”
She called on Trump to show compassion for those who are worried about their future. While saying this, she seemed to look at the president.
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in families from all political backgrounds, some of whom are scared for their lives,” she said, highlighting the fears of the LGBTQIA+ community regarding Trump’s presidency.
In her speech, she talked about some of the executive orders that Trump signed. One of them was about “recognizing that women are biologically different from men.” She also mentioned the order that announced a national emergency at the southern border and other orders related to immigration, including one that aimed to end birthright citizenship.
“The people who harvest our crops and clean our offices; who work in poultry farms and meatpacking plants; who wash dishes in restaurants and take care of patients during the night in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the right papers. But most immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are great neighbors.”
Bishop Budde has been critical of Trump in the past.
In 2020, after law enforcement used chemical agents to clear out racial justice protesters, Trump took a photo with a Bible outside St. John’s Episcopal Church. The bishop responded by saying, “Everything he has said and done is to stir up violence… We need leaders with strong morals, and he has only worked to divide us.”
During her sermon, the bishop also said, “Mr. President, I urge you to show mercy to those in our communities whose children are scared that their parents might be taken away. Please help those escaping from war and persecution in their own countries to find kindness and a warm welcome here. Our God teaches us to be merciful to strangers, as 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 shared his thoughts about the bishop’s sermon on social media. He said, “The person delivering this sermon should be put on the deportation list.”
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