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Catholic Archbishop Slams Trump's 'Baffling And Reprehensible' Visit To Pope John Paul II Shrine

Catholic Archbishop Slams Trump's 'Baffling And Reprehensible' Visit To Pope John Paul II Shrine
The Washington Post/Getty Images, ABC News/YouTube
Collin Gossel
By Collin GosselJun 03, 2020
Collin Gossel
Collin Gossel is a writer and comedian living in Brooklyn, New York, but there are nights when he looks up at the stars and wistfully thinks to himself “there’s got to be more out there…” You can catch Collin improvising new musicals every Tuesday night at the Magnet Theater’s Musical Megawatt, or follow his unfiltered thoughts on Twitter and Instagram @CollinGossel.
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Catholic Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory had more than a couple negative things to say about President Trump's recent visit to the church's shrine to John Paul II.

On Monday, President Trump visited St. John's Episcopal Church, where he took a picture in front of a shrine to John Paul II.

Gregory, the Archdiocese of Washington's first black bishop, said Trump's visit "violates our religious principles."

The bishop issued a statement saying:

"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 went on to explain why it was so inappropriate for President Trump to be invoking the image of John Paul II at this point in our history.

"Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings. His legacy bears vivid witness to that truth. 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."

The bishop isn't the only person in service to the church who has spoken out against President Trump in recent days.

After tear-gassing protestors so he could take a photo in front of St. John's Church, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde said Trump's impromptu pose with the bible was a "symbolic misuse of the most sacred texts of our tradition."


Ben Sasse, a Republican Senator from Nebraska, also spoke out against Trump's visit to St. John's, saying:

"There is a fundamental—a Constitutional—right to protest, and I'm against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op that treats the Word of God as a political prop."

Twitter, of course, is always quick to call President Trump out for hypocrisy.



According to multiple religious leaders, President Trump continues to pose as a Christian while going against the teachings of Christ at every turn.

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