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CV NEWS FEED // A prominent Anglican watchdog publication issued a sharp response to Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s Jan. 21 inauguration day sermon, accusing her of hypocrisy and turning a blind eye to abuse within the Episcopal Church.
In her sermon, which has been described as “far left” and excessively political, Bishop Budde called on President Donald Trump to “have mercy” on vulnerable groups, including illegal immigrants and LGBT individuals, while controversially describing the immigrants as the “people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings.”
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” Bishop Budde said in her sermon. “There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives.”
While the statement from Anglican Watch commended Budde for “preaching the Gospel,” they simultaneously called her leadership “hypocritical,” accusing her of ignoring instances of abuse within the Episcopal Church.
“We have documented multiple instances in which Bishop Budde has ignored pleas from those facing abuse within the Episcopal Church, thus adding to their pain, suffering, and sorrow,” the Anglican Watch stated. “Thus, while she is eager to decry injustice she cannot control, we believe it is sinful and hypocritical to ignore abuse that she CAN control.”
The response alleged that Bishop Budde has failed to address complaints of abuse from church members and criticized her for allowing individuals, such as David M. Ayres — described by the publication as a “torture profiteer” — to serve on the board of governors of the Washington D.C. National Cathedral School.
Ayres was identified in 2022 as the owner of one of the private companies involved in training military personnel in tactics associated with the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation program,” according to the Anglican Watch. The program includes waterboarding and sleep deprivation, among others, and is regarded as a violation of international law.
CatholicVote reported that Trump later characterized Bishop Budde’s sermon as “ungracious” and called on her to apologize to the public.
