When Bishop Mariann Budde closed her sermon at the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral on January 21 she called on Donald Trump, who was sitting in front of her, “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now”.
She appealed for mercy for immigrants and LGBTQ but didn’t know to mention federal workers, educators, South Africans, Ukrainians and others.
The 2025 inaugural prayer service sparked controversy, particularly around the remarks by Mariann Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Speaking directly to the president, Budde implored, “I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our ...