AGAINST THE CALL TO MISGUIDED MERCY: A BIBLICAL AND PATRISTIC RESPONSE TO THE HERETICAL SERMON OF MS. MARIAN BUDDE

President Donald Trump Greeting the Episcopal “Bishop” of Washington DC

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

INTRODUCTION 

The day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Marian Budde, the Episcopal “bishop” of Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral, delivered an address that, under the guise of Christian charity, epitomized the theological and moral confusion of much of contemporary liberal Christianity. Her plea to the President, which included a call for “mercy” on LGBT+ individuals, undocumented immigrants, and various other groups, was couched in language that sounded compassionate but was deeply flawed from a biblical, covenantal and patristic perspective.

A MISGUIDED CALL

Budde’s invocation of “our God” to justify her plea for mercy reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of divine mercy and justice. True mercy does not affirm behavior that harms individuals or society. While the Church is called to love all people, it must also courageously speak the truth about sin, for sin destroys the very dignity and freedom that God grants to humanity as bearers of His image (Imago Dei). The crux of the problem with this polemic political speech was centered upon the line “many gay, lesbian and transgender children fear for their lives.” While calling for mercy is admirable and good, advocating the transition of children by embracing the erroneous definitions of identity that Ms. Budde used is simply child abuse.

By equating fears stemming from illegal behavior or moral confusion with the righteous suffering of the oppressed, Budde conflates biblical compassion with modern secular ideologies, which use the mask of compassion and love to accomplish evil and insidious destruction to the soul and the moral society. Her rhetoric implies that personal autonomy is supreme, yet Scripture teaches the opposite: human freedom is only rightly exercised when it aligns with God’s truth and the common good.

The LGBT+ “community”, like every fallen human community, is composed of individuals deeply loved by God. However, love does not mean condoning actions that are contrary to His will. Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, consistently teaches that sexual activity is reserved for the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:31-33). Practices such as sodomy, gender mutilation, and other forms of self-harm contradict this divine design and ultimately harm both individuals and society. To affirm such behaviors as acceptable is to deny the very mercy Budde claims to espouse, for true mercy seeks to restore and heal, not to leave people in brokenness.

THE IMAGO DEI AND THE CHURCH’S MISSION 

The biblical doctrine of the Imago Dei - the truth that all human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) - provides the foundation for human dignity and worth. Every person, regardless of race, nationality, or personal struggle, has intrinsic value before God. This includes immigrants and those confused about their identity or sexuality. However, the same doctrine also underscores humanity’s responsibility to reflect God’s holiness and order in our lives. Sin, far from being a mere personal choice, is an affront to this image and a rupture in the covenantal relationship between God and His people.

The Church’s mission is to call people to repentance and renewal through Jesus Christ, not to confirm them in their sins. The writings of the Patristic Fathers echo this mandate. St. John Chrysostom, in his “Homilies on Hebrews”, exhorted the faithful to love sinners while abhorring sin, teaching that “he who truly loves does not spare the sin of his brother, but reproves him, warns him, and leads him back to the truth.” Similarly, St. Augustine, in his “City of God” (Book I, Chapter 9), emphasized that mercy and justice are inseparable, declaring that “mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution; justice without mercy is cruelty. Therefore, the two must embrace one another, for it is only in their union that true righteousness is found.” Mercy devoid of truth, Augustine asserts, is a form of cruelty, leaving souls to perish in ignorance. 

A THEOLOGICAL BETRAYAL OF THE ENGLISH PATRIMONY 

Marian Budde’s sermon is a stark example of how liberal Christianity has betrayed its theological and moral foundations, and especially the moral and covenantal stances of the Tradition of English Christianity that her “Episcopal” title attempts to squeeze for clout and validity. Her language reflects an allegiance not to Jesus Christ and His gospel but to the shifting winds of secular ideology, a massive sin and error that betrays the very foundations of Christianity itself. By prioritizing political narratives over scriptural truth, she undermines the Church’s witness and authority, and any splinters of sincerity and orthodoxy that Anglicans may still try to maintain. 

Budde’s assertion that God “teaches us to be merciful to the stranger” is correct in principle but misapplied in practice. Biblical mercy is not an excuse for lawlessness or moral compromise, and is an individual imperative as we respond to the needs of our neighbors, and not a cultural value that must be enforced up and against the law of the land. For example, while Scripture commands us to care for the stranger and the alien (Leviticus 19:34), it also upholds the importance of lawful behavior and communal responsibility, the breaking of which results in sometimes harsh punishments. Similarly, Christ’s call to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39) is rooted in the truth of God’s commandments, not in subjective definitions of love or compassion.

Furthermore, Budde’s ordination as a female “bishop” is itself a departure from biblical and apostolic teaching, meaning that she does not hold the prerogative to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), and should remain under the biblical exhortation to “remain silent in Church” (I Corinthians 14:34). The episcopacy, as established by Christ and upheld by the undivided Church, is not a platform for the political activism of feminist pandering, but a sacred office entrusted to sober guardians of the faith and strong shepherds of our souls, for strict conformity to the Christian Faith as it has been passed down to us, without addition, subtraction or the imposition of personal opinion. Her actions and words reveal a prioritization of modern liberal political causes over the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A TRUE CALL TO GODLY MERCY

True mercy, as taught by Christ and His Church, calls individuals to repentance and restoration. It does not affirm sin or abandon moral accountability. It is rooted in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to live in accordance with God’s will. Marian Budde’s sermon, while cloaked in the language of compassion, ultimately betrays both the gospel and the people it claims to serve. By substituting secular values for biblical truth, she has forfeited any claim to moral or theological authority.

The Church must remain steadfast in its mission to proclaim the whole counsel of God, calling all people to the freedom and dignity that come through obedience to His Word (Acts 20:27). In the words of St. Gregory the Theologian, “Let us purify ourselves to be temples of God. Let us be living sacrifices, reasonable offerings, a royal priesthood” (“Oration 2: On the Priesthood”, §71). Gregory calls for a life of holiness, reflecting the priestly calling of all Christians. Only by upholding the truth, as revealed in Scripture and preserved by the Church, can we offer true mercy to a world in desperate need of redemption.  

A WESTERN ORTHODOX COLLECT PRAYER FOR THESE UNITED STATES 

O Almighty and Everlasting God, who art the King of kings and Lord of lords, we humbly beseech Thee to look with mercy upon these United States. Grant unto this nation peace and unity, that we may be bound together in submission to Thee in holiness and truth. Inspire in us love for our neighbors, compassion for the old, the sick, the weak, and the poor; care for the orphans and the widows, the foreigners and the oppressed, that we may fulfill Thy holy commandments and reflect Thy love to all humankind. 

Protect, O Lord, President Trump and Vice President Vance, bestowing upon them wisdom, faithfulness, and repentance. Enable them to lead by example in virtue and truthfulness all the days of their lives. Bless their families, their wives, their children, and all their households. Grant them the grace to rule righteously, to bring peace among the nations, and to heal the fractures and divisions of our land, that we may dwell in harmony under Thy sovereign care. 

Have mercy, O Lord, upon our erring nation; forgive us for the sin of pride and for our contempt toward others. Pardon us for forgetting Thee, for turning away from Thy precepts, and for abandoning Thy holy law. Turn our hearts to repentance, that we may once again walk in Thy ways, fearing Thee and glorifying Thy Name. 

Grant, O merciful Father, that we may shine as a beacon of the Orthodox Faith, bearing witness to the truth of Christ’s Holy Gospel. May we repent truly before Thee and love Thee with our whole heart, and our neighbors as ourselves, that Thy glory may be made manifest in us, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.