Bishop Budde's sermon: How Catholic preachers navigate politics from the ambo

Last Monday, the 47th presidential term began in the United States. A day after the inauguration, on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, delivered a powerful sermon at a national prayer service held at Washington National Cathedral. Her sermon highlighted the ethical challenges facing the nation and called for a deeper commitment to mercy, justice and compassion. Addressing pressing issues such as the treatment of immigrants and the rights of LG.B.T.Q. individuals, she made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump, who was present in the congregation.  The reaction—for good and ill—to Bishop Budde’s sermon got us thinking here on the Preach team. Since launching the podcast, we’ve asked many of our guests how as Catholic leaders they can best balance preaching with politics. Where’s the line between speaking truth to power and staying true to the faith, the Scriptures— the Word of God? In this episode, we’re revisiting  a few of those conversations to explore how some faith leaders navigate the challenge of speaking out without compromising their spiritual mission when addressing political issues from the ambo. Listen to the full conversation with guests featured on this episode Get daily Scripture reflections and support "Preach" by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine “Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices