Washington Archbishop Condemns Trump's Visit To Catholic Shrine
Category: News & Politics
Via: pat-wilson • 4 years ago • 97 commentsBy: Carol Kuruvilla (HuffPost)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said he finds it "baffling and reprehensible" that a Catholic facility would allow itself to be "manipulated" in this way. By Carol Kuruvilla
Washington's Roman Catholic archbishop has roundly criticized President Donald Trump's visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine on Tuesday.
One day after Trump used federal police to forcefully disperse a peaceful protest in front of a D.C. Episcopal church for a photo op with the Bible, Archbishop Wilton Gregory insisted that the former pope the shrine is named after would never have condoned the president's tactics.
"I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree," Gregory, the first Black archbishop of Washington, said in a statement.
Saint Pope John Paul II, known for opposing communism in his native Poland during his papacy, was an "ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings," the archbishop said.
"He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace," Gregory added.
Trump briefly visited the Saint John Paul II National Shrine with first lady Melania Trump, who identifies as Roman Catholic. The pair posed for media photos before turning to gaze at a statue of the former pope for a few minutes. They also laid a wreath of flowers at the shrine. Trump did not make any public comments at the shrine, The Washington Post reported.
The president is expected to sign an executive order related to religious freedom later on in the day.
The shrine is managed by the conservative lay Catholic men's organization, the Knights of Columbus.
In a statement, its leaders said that the shrine "welcomes all people to come and pray and learn about the legacy of St. John Paul II."
"The White House originally scheduled this as an event for the president to sign an executive order on international religious freedom. This was fitting given St. John Paul II was a tireless advocate of religious liberty throughout his pontificate," the shrine's statement read.
Some Catholic activists gathered outside the shrine to protest Trump's visit. They prayed the rosary and held signs, including one that read, "Our church is not a photo op."
Bob Cooke, a leader for Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, the local chapter of a left-leaning Catholic group, told HuffPost he believes the Trump administration has long acted in ways that are antithetical to the gospel. But violently dispersing peaceful protestors for a photo op while the nation grieves 400 years of racism was "more than many Christians could take."
"So as a Catholic, I needed to be out there today to protest his misuse of Christianity and the Bible for his own temporal, evil plans," Cooke said.
Prayerful protest outside the Basilica waiting for Trump pic.twitter.com/6ouEKpX9Zr — Ryan Koronowski (@koronet) June 2, 2020
Bishop John Stowe, from the Catholic diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, also criticized Trump's visit.
As Trump visits the St John Paul II National Shrine today, I hope someone proclaims today's Gospel (Mark 12:13-17) where Herodians and Pharisees are called out for their hypocrisy. — Bishop John Stowe (@BpStowe) June 2, 2020
Sister Simone Campbell, who leads the Catholic social justice advocacy group Network, accused Trump of using the Catholic faith "in another photo op to defend his appalling refusal to address racism and police violence in the United States."
"He is trying to create a false dichotomy of peaceful protestors versus the Church. That could not be further from the truth, and any Christian who believes it does not understand Jesus's message," Campbell said in a statement.
"Saint John Paul II himself spoke out against racism multiple times during his papacy, I hope President Trump learns that history during his visit," she said.
Rev. James Martin, editor at large of the Jesuit Catholic magazine America, also said that Trump was visiting the shrine "for another photo op at a religious site."
Alex Wong via Getty Images Demonstrators stage a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, which President Donald Trump visited on June 2 in Washington, D.C.
Gregory's condemnation of Trump's visit to the shrine comes just one day after Washington's Episcopal bishop lashed out at the president for using one of the churches in her diocese for a photo op.
On Monday evening, law enforcement officials in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered at Lafayette Square to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in police custody last week in Minneapolis. The square is located right in front of St. John's Church. Clergy who had gathered at the church to offer water and solidarity to protesters were among those who reported being tear-gassed and driven off the church's property.
The president then walked from the White House to pose with a Bible outside of St. John's Church, which had been set on fire during protests a day earlier.
Rev. Mariann Budde, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, accused Trump of using the Bible and St. John's Church as a backdrop for a message that is "antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for."
Budde said that she was sad about the damage to the church, but that she and her diocese still stood in solidarity with protesters demanding an end to police brutality against Black Americans.
"In no way do we support the President's incendiary response to a wounded, grieving nation," Budde said.
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Ha ! This is almost as bad as Newtie's whore being named Diplomat to the Vatican.
Hmmm. A black catholic's perspective. Not really surprising.
Good thing most Trump supporters are evangelicals Hahaha.
Besides the catholic church has strayed so far from their roots I don't think anyone really cares what they have to say anymore. We are just waiting for the next alter boy to come forward.
What does "black" have to do with it?
He has probably fell victim to the mainstream coddling that all black people are receiving right now. He probably believes what most progressives believe. That all black people are George Floyd, and all white people(expect the ones who riot and loot and protest with their black friends), are the police officer sitting on their necks. I personally am tired of it. Blacks do not own police brutality. More whites die by cops. We know how it feels. That's why it's hard for us to understand why they can't see it as an individual event and move on us whites and latinos and all other races who have equal or more occurrence of lethal encounters with cops.
In other words it's not his fault he believes that way, he has been brainwashed. I personally really just feel sorry for him. And the other progressives who have been duped.
Proportonitly? Prove that, please.
Black people are over represented in crime, so of course it will be disproportionate. The more crimes the more potential fatal encounters
News to you....... being an evangelical is not proof of those that follow Christ's teachings.
From a long time ago...... The Christian Right is Neither!
I think you should feel sorry for all the trump lovers who are constantly being gas-lighted.
Wow.....I am deeply disturbed by your words but what disturbs me even more are the 3 people who voted you up
Forgive them Trout, for they know not what they do......!
Absolutely disgusting.
'Wow.....I am deeply disturbed by your words but what disturbs me even more are the 3 people who voted you up'
It's good to know where folks stand.
Some folks reveal their true colors all the time.
Telling isn't it ?
Tear gas and shoot rubber bullets into a crowd to walk across the street and pretend to be a Christian (i.e photo op) with 5 other white people during a protest about race relations really is a good message to send. Can't you feel the love and unity? LOL!
It's a wonder Trump didn't end up getting burns while touching that bible!
How many constitutional rights of the protesters did he violate and how many members of the security detail did he put in harms way for that photo op?
Is Trump going to task the Navy for a photo op of him walking on water next?
BTW.... where was Mike "I'm Holier than Thou" Pence when all this was going on...?
trump has been inside more whores than churches...
[deleted]
Careful there devangelical, without a DNA test we can't be sure Baron is his kid.....
That's a really good question.
I wanna see somebody throw Holy Water on POTUS (like the priest does during Christmas and Easter Mass). I bet he melts just like the Wicked Witch of the West
I bet he melts just like the Wicked Witch of the West
He'd still bitch that it was caused by the deep state..... and his acolytes would believe him.
Yawn.
The Catholic Church has little moral high ground to be trying to shame anyone.
When they start turning over their pedophiles and not shuffling them from church to church, then I will be impressed with them.
Hey once in a while you make a post I can agree with.
Hey, I’m Catholic and it’s unconscionable how they’ve handled the rampant abuse in their churches.
A special level of evil in book.
To anyone using Catholic pedophilia to deflect from the actual topic, trump's fake religious fervor, take it elsewhere.
The archbishop is Catholic so the Catholic church is entirely on topic.
But feel free to keep attempting to censor your article. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a mod or three to tag what you want off topic.
The Catholic church is on topic. Pedophilia is not.
I made a very simple statement. Haven't flagged any comments, I rarely do. Get over yourself.
I’m not the one who needs to do the getting.
Catholic church still 100% on topic
Read my words.:
"The Catholic church is on topic. Pedophilia is not."
Apologies. Please delete if you wish.
No worries, I should have put it in redbox rules but it didn't occur to me.
I think it would have been funny and quite telling.
we can talk about the catholic church as having the moral highground,
- just dont mention catholic church pedophilia.... LOL
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
Sinclair Lewis
or a bible
Or a water bottle, brick or Molotov cocktail ......
Wait...hold up...I thought antifa were throwing the water bottles, bricks, and Molotov cocktails?
First things first .... you're talking to me again?
As I deployed my critical thinking skills reading your comment, it occurred to me that it was contradictory. I can't pass up contradictory, so yeah for the next several minutes I'm speaking to you again.
Several minutes eh? Let me know when that runs out as my crystal ball is in the repair shop this week.
The first comment was a bible, clearly an allusion to Trump being Fascist.
My comment WAS saying that antifa is a fascist organization. Actions speak louder than words. They SAY they are anti fascist while employing fascist tactics and principles in their operations. People always try to shoehorn fascism as a right wing only thing when some left wing groups clearly act just as bad or worse.
Suppression of free speech that they don't agree with
A rabid intolerance for political opponents
Openly support and embrace violence to achieve objectives
Disrespect for democratic principles ..... etc, etc,
Describes antifa to a tee.
Describes KKKer's and White Supremacists to a Tee.
It's contradictory to call a group dedicated to anti-fascism "fascists". I feel that you truly don't understand the terms or are just looking to pick a fight.
Either way...I don't care if you understand or not and you will have to fight with yourself today. I just don't have the energy to deflect snark and bad rhetoric.
They stand against fascism. They are ANTI FASCISTS. They can't be fascists along the same line as Hitler's Brown Shirts or David Dukes Klansmen. And that's what you and Sparty are trying to say.
Neither of you make any sense
As for your other bullshit, do you think all Knights are actually chivalrous? There were plenty that were murderers, rapists, and thieves back in the middle ages....
So....I'm done. I'm too exhausted to fight a mental battle with someone who refused to come prepared.
Lol .... you engage me and then use those chickenshit tactics? Hilarious.
No worries though, my understand of what antifa, "is" and "isn't" is just fine by observation alone. Which makes me wonder about your observation skills a great deal.
[deleted]
what do right wing anarchists stand for?
bye
There are clearly extremists both left and right agitating for violence at these protests. To only point to one side is disingenuous.
Knock it off.
THEMSELVES ONLY
FUCK THAT SHIT
As well you should. Just know who you're talking about.
Knock what off?
I agree, i've never said it was one side only. Fact of the matter is we don't know for sure yet but i have no doubt antifa is involved in most.
No doubt.
The personal insults.
It's not passing the snopes fact checker.
Though we have found passages by other authors that share certain words, phrases, and sentiments in common with the quote attributed to Lewis, we have not found an exact match anywhere. We came across this bit, for example, in coverage of a speech by one James Waterman Wise Jr. in the 5 February 1936 edition of The Christian Century:
And this observation appeared in John Thomas Flynn’s As We Go Marching, published in 1944:
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Are "Liberal Types" backing "The Church" now ?
………….. BUT ............. SEPERATION !
What do you separation of church and state means...
Going to be away for awhile, locking.