From Nov 2025
She asked a president for mercy — and refused to apologize when he demanded one. Now, she'll preach at Jane Goodall's funeral.
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, has been announced as the preacher for the funeral of Dr. Jane Goodall at Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday, November 12, at 11 AM EST.
But for many, Budde is already a familiar figure. In January, she stood before President Donald Trump at the inaugural prayer service and did something few in his orbit had the courage to do — she spoke directly to him, with the whole nation watching.
"Millions have put their trust in you," she said. "And as you told the nation yesterday, 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."
She spoke of immigrant families living in fear. She spoke of gay, lesbian, and transgender children — in Democratic, Republican, and independent families — who feared for their safety. She asked for compassion. She asked for mercy.
The response was swift and severe.
Trump called Bishop Budde a "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" and said she "was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart." He demanded an apology. Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia wrote that the New Jersey-born bishop "should be added to the deportation list." Others went further — sending death threats.
But Budde did not flinch.
In interviews following the sermon, she reflected on why she felt compelled to speak: "I was trying to say, 'The country has been entrusted to you.' And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy. Mercy. And to be mindful of the people who are scared."
Asked if she would apologize, she was clear: "I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others."
She acknowledged the ugliness of the backlash with characteristic grace. "People have said they do wish me dead, and that's a little heartbreaking," she reflected. "It was a pretty mild sermon."
But she refused to make it about herself.
"I think it's not about me," she said. "It's about the kind of country we are called to be. And that's what I did my best to try and speak to — to present an alternative to the culture of contempt, and to say that we can bring multiple perspectives into a common space and do so with dignity and respect. And that we need that, and the culture of contempt is threatening to destroy us."
When asked how she was holding up, her answer said everything about who she is: "I have a lot of people who are supporting me. The people we should be worrying about are not the bishop of the diocese of Washington. There are a lot of other people whose lives are in much more vulnerable and precarious states."
On November 12, Bishop Budde will stand before the nation once more — this time to honor a woman who spent her life championing compassion for every living thing. It is a fitting pairing. Because in a time when speaking with conscience carries a cost, both Jane Goodall and Mariann Budde chose to pay it.
