In his first public statement, Washington’s new Catholic archbishop slams Trump for ‘diminishing our national life’
By Michelle Boorstein August 1 at 6:22 PM
Washington’s new Catholic leader — the country’s lone black archbishop — on Thursday issued his first public statement since his installation, accusing President Trump of “diminishing our national life” with his recent tweets about lawmakers of color.
Wilton Gregory, who came to Washington in May, is known through his long, prominent career for being nonconfrontational on hot-button issues in public while working quietly behind the scenes — a model similar to that of the man he replaced, Cardinal Donald Wuerl. But on Thursday, Gregory signaled that he wants to use his higher-profile perch in the nation’s capital to challenge the use of identity — by race, national origin or otherwise — as a tool of attack.
“I have stressed that I am a pastor and fellow disciple of Jesus, not a political leader,” he said in the statement. “There are, however, sometimes, when a pastor and a disciple of Jesus is called to speak out to defend the dignity of all God’s children.”
He said in his statement — which drew attention from many prominent Catholic leaders for its direct reference to Trump — that he has been meeting privately with major Catholic lay groups, including the massive Knights of Columbus, to press them to “promote respect” and to work to “reject racism, disrespect or brutality in speech and action.”
His comments come as other high-profile religious leaders in the Washington area, including those at Washington National Cathedral, have begun increasingly decrying Trump’s recent attacks on lawmakers of color.
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/08/01/his-first-public-statement-washingtons-new-catholic-archbishop-slams-trump-diminishing-our-national-life/?utm_term=.5ae3eacd2c81
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