For many progressive Christians, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s plea to President donald trump to have mercy on LGBTQ+ people and migrants was an example of Christian leadership.

For other, more conservative Christians, his sermon at Washington National Cathedral this Monday was far from that. One pastor called it “inappropriate and shameful,” and Trump himself referred to the bishop on his Truth Social account as a “far-left hater.”

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Rev. Budde, 65, is the spiritual leader of 86 congregations and 10 schools of the Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, and four counties in the state of Maryland.

She is the first woman to serve as bishop of Washington for her church, which is arguably one of the most liberal of those in the global Anglican Communion. In addition, she is a historian, mother and grandmother.

In a 2011 interview with Washington Post Shortly after taking office, Budde spoke openly of his support for gay marriage.

Washington DC and the state of Maryland are predominantly Democratic, so his progressive views were welcomed by many.

Trump attended the National Prayer Service with Vice President JD Vance and his family. (Getty Images).

A defender of social causes

According to the Episcopal Diocese of Washington website, the bishop is an advocate for causes such as “racial equality, gun violence prevention, immigration reform and the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people.”

The Episcopal Church in the United States allows people “of all genders and sexual orientations” to serve as bishops, priests and deacons.

Budde became bishop of Washington in 2011, after serving for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis.

She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Rochester, with a degree magna cum laude. He then earned a master’s degree and a doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary.

Her sermons have been published in several books and magazines and she is the author of three books, the most recent of which is titled How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith (“How We Learn to Be Courageous: Turning Moments in Life and Faith”) and was published in 2023.

In his 15-minute sermon Tuesday in front of the president, vice president and their families, Budde spoke of undocumented and LGBTQ+ people who are afraid of what the future may hold with Trump in office.

His message radically contrasts with the opinions of evangelical believers who are part of Donald Trump’s base, for whom the advancement of the rights of the LGBT+ community is opposed to the teachings of the Bible.

Since taking office, The president has issued a series of executive ordersamong them one that only recognizes two genders: male and female. He also announced new measures to drastically reduce illegal immigration and asylum requests at the border with Mexico.

A bishop critical of Trump

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked Trump for clemency towards LGBT people and migrants. (Getty Images).

This is not the first time Bishop Budde has confronted Donald Trump.

During his first presidency, he criticized him for taking a photo holding a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC amid protests over the murder of George Floyd in June 2020.

In an interview he stated: “everything he has said and done is to fuel violence… We need moral leadership and he has done everything to divide us.”

The tension is a symptom of a broader clash in the United States between two visions of what it means to be Christian.

Progressives maintain that living like Jesus means accepting others and fighting for social justice, while conservatives consider their country to be in a state of moral decline for not following the word of God.

It’s a conflict that was revealed in the last election, in which major evangelical leaders, such as Franklin Graham, called Trump’s victory a “great victory for evangelical Christians.”

After the video of the reverend’s sermon went viral, the Episcopal Church reiterated its support for migrants, stating that “as Christians, our faith is shaped by the biblical story of people whom God led to foreign countries to escape.” of oppression.”

For his part, Republican Congressman Mike Collins said that the bishop “should be added to the deportation list.”