I watched Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Washington Episcopal Church speak at the ceremony on the morning after Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the U.S. She addressed him directly, speaking on behalf of the poor and underprivileged in her city. She did not in any way deviate from the fundamentals of the Christian Gospel. She spoke in a gentle, respectful voice. I was immensely impressed by her.
This morning I read that Trump has demanded an apology, and used the words ‘nasty’, ‘hate’ and ‘boring’ in reference to her.
I really hope she does not back down, or in any way water down what she said. It was admirable.
But I mostly hope that before this day is out we will hear from many Catholic voices coming out in strong support of her, and particularly from members of the U.S Catholic bishops. They already have the example of Francis, who described what Trump is proposing as a ‘disgrace’. If they remain silent in the face of this, and allow all the heat to be taken by this admirable woman alone, they themselves will be a disgrace.
So I await in hope, but also in trepidation. In recent years Catholic bishops have not distinguished themselves in courage. This is in many ways a defining moment.
