LEICESTER, United Kingdom – An Irish bishop praised an Episcopalian bishop whose homily to U.S. President Donald Trump was called “very ungracious” by the American leader.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Router of the Archdiocese of Armagh was speaking on Feb. 1 at the Shrine of Saint Brigid at her birthplace in Faughart in the Republic of Ireland. Saint Brigid, who lived approximately from 450 to 525, is one of the patron saints of Ireland
Last week we watched, with interest, the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America,” the bishop said.
“There was of course a lot of coverage of everything that was said and done that day and in the day’s after. However, much of the controversy came from an unexpected source,” he continued.
“At a service to pray for the new president on the day after the inauguration, Bishop Marianne Edgar Budde of the Episcopalian Church, called on President Trump to show mercy and to have compassion on those who were most vulnerable in society – people whom she claimed where scared,” Router said.
On Jan. 21, Budde gave the sermon at the national prayer service at Washington National Cathedral.
She said “the culture of contempt that has become normalized in our country threatens to destroy us.”
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families who fear for their lives,” Budde said.
“And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in our poultry farms and meat-packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shift in hospitals – they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” she continued.
“Have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. Help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were once strangers in this land,” Budde added.
After the Jan. 21 service, Trump said he “didn’t think it was a good service” and “they could do much better.”
Later on the internet, he called Budde a “so-called Bishop” and a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.”
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” Trump said.
Speaking on Feb. 1, Router said Budde’s words were “a forthright and courageous sermon to give, but it was also in many ways a standard sermon about the basic Christian principles of loving one’s neighbor and about being charitable and generous in our dealings with those less fortunate.”
“What was remarkable, however, was the reaction to what was said. Bishop Budde was referred to as ‘nasty’, and one member of the House of Representatives even called for the bishop, a native of New Jersey, to be put on the list for deportation,” the Irish bishop said.
“It is amazing the negativity that a simple, sincere statement of Christian beliefs can engender. It is a wake-up call to all of us on the challenges inherent in trying to live out our Christian faith in today’s fractured world,” he said.
Router compared Budde’s homily with the works of Saint Brigid, saying they echoed the principles that underscored the Irish saint’s life, such as caring for the poor, lightening everyone’s burden, and comforting those who are suffering.
“Brigid and her community took it upon themselves to care for the sick and destitute, embodying Christ-like mercy in their actions,” the Irish bishop said.
“Brigid’s approach to healing was inseparable from her sense of justice. She did not merely tend to wounds, or weakness, but sought to address the inequalities that left people vulnerable in the first place. Her acts of charity and service echoed Christ’s call in the scripture to love our neighbors as ourselves. This integrated view of compassion and justice is a striking contrast to the normal situation, in the past and even in the present in many societies, where vulnerable people often face neglect or sometimes even hostility,” he said.
Turning to Ireland, he said the gap between policy and practice “often reveals a shortfall in compassion.”
“The Government of Ireland’s promises, though well-intentioned, require consistent effort and accountability to ensure they achieve their intended outcomes,” Router said.
“For instance, addiction to drugs and alcohol is a serious problem now on this island, but unfortunately many families are left in fear and isolation to deal with the issue alone without the support and treatment interventions that are necessary to resolve their difficulties,” the bishop said.
He said Saint Brigid’s care for those in need was not just about alleviating immediate suffering but about affirming the inherent dignity of those who sought her help.
“Modern society must adopt a similar approach, recognizing that working for justice is an essential element of true compassion,” Router said.
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