The Gospel must not be instrumentalized by politics – and churches should never apologize for reading the Bible or for preaching the Gospel, the World Council of Churches moderator Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm has said at a prayer service.

Bedford-Strohm mentioned in a Jan. 27reflection at the WCC, criticism by President Donald Trump after an Episcopal bishop made a plea to the U.S. leader during his inauguration service on Jan. 21.

Trump demanded an apology from Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington after she made a direct appeal to him during a prayer service marking his inauguration to have mercy on the LGBTQ community and migrant workers who are in the United States illegally.

Referencing Trump's belief that he was saved by God from assassination, Rev. Budde said, "You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now."

After he returned to the White House, Trump said, "I didn't think it was a good service" and "they could do much better." But later, in an overnight post on his social media site, he sharply criticized the "so-called Bishop" as a "Radical Left hard-line Trump hater," The Associated Press reported.

"She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart," said Trump, a Republican, adding that Budde didn't mention that some migrants have come to the United States and killed people.

"Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job!" Trump said. "She and her church owe the public an apology!"

The Presbyterian Church PC(USA) advocacy committee issued a statement supporting Bishop Budde saying her "courage and truth-telling has echoes in pioneering Presbyterian women."

- 'INFUSING GOSPEL INTO POLITICS'

In his reflection, Bedford-Strohm said, "The bishop was not politicizing the gospel but – quite the opposite - infused some gospel into politics at an occasion where this was desperately needed. The president demanded her to apologize. She didn't apologize. Nowhere in the world will we apologize for reading the bible and preaching the Gospel!"

Referring to Trump's inaugural address the day before the service, the WCC bishop said, "How different was the tone of the inaugural address that we heard last Monday, just a week ago. Not the common good was in the center of the inaugural address of the new president of the United States, but the exclusion of those who are especially vulnerable.

"And then came the bishop - a bishop with a soft and friendly voice, but strong words," the WCC moderator said, referring to Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, made a plea to President Trump during an interfaith service at the Washington Cathedral.

"Bishop Mariann Budde spoke truth to power. And what she said was simply the words of the Gospel."

"This was a historic sermon - it gave new energy, it gave new hope to many people all over the world," said Bedford-Strohm.

Budde has served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington since 2011.

She was also critical of Trump in 2020 when he ordered racial justice protestors to be forcibly removed from Lafayette Park and the courtyard of St. John's Church and then posed there for a photo while holding a Bible, Time magazine reported.

 - INTERFAITH SERVICE

More than a dozen religious leaders spoke during the interfaith service, including those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

One of the most famous examples of a medieval bishop speaking truth to power is that of Thomas Becket, former chancellor – or senior minister – of England in the 12th century, The Conversation reported on Jan 28.

On becoming archbishop of Canterbury, Becket resigned his secular office and opposed the efforts of King Henry II to bring the church under royal control.

The Conversation also noted that in South Africa, the former Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu, archbishop of Cape Town, spent much of his active ministry condemning the violence of aparatheid in his native country.

After the end of the apartheid regime, Tutu also served as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Before his death in 2021, Tutu continued to speak out against international actgs of oppression and in his own country as well. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.