Colo. Episcopal bishop joins criticism of Trump’s church visit
The bishop of the Episcopal Church in Colorado has sided with her counterpart in Washington, D.C., in condemning the forceful clearing of protesters on Monday so that President Donald Trump could stand for pictures outside a parish.
“I stand with my colleague and sister in Christ, Bishop Mariann Budde,” the Rt. Rev. Kym Lucas told Colorado Politics. “Our faith is about reconciling people to God and one another; it is not about using sacred symbols to justify violence and oppression.”
Budde, the bishop in D.C., told The Washington Post that she was “outraged” over Trump’s decision to walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church across from the White House, where he stood outside and held aloft a Bible while cameras captured photos and videos.
To enable Trump’s visit, law enforcement used tear gas and less-than-lethal bullets to clear people peacefully protesting the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd and the police slayings of black Americans in general.
Afterward on Twitter, Trump praised the rough treatment of the nonviolent demonstrators. “Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination,” he wrote.
The parish, which traditionally hosts worshiping presidents, sustained $20,000 of fire damage from continued demonstrations over the weekend. Nevertheless, Budde spoke demonstrably more harshly about Trump’s method of obtaining a photo opportunity than about the arson.

