by Bishop Mariann | Oct 11, 2023
De la Rvdsma. Mariann Edgar Budde, obispa de la Diócesis Episcopal de Washington, y el Rvmo. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, deán de la Catedral Nacional de Washington:
Esta semana se cumplen dos años de la inauguración de una talla de piedra del sobreviviente del Holocausto y Premio Nobel de la Paz Elie Wiesel, un judío fiel y un defensor incondicional de Israel. Durante el servicio de dedicación, su único hijo, Eliseo, se dirigió a su difunto padre.
“Nos enseñaste que el lenguaje importa y que la verdad importa”, le dijo a su padre. “Pero nos hemos vuelto perezosos con el lenguaje y perezosos con la verdad”.
Elie Wiesel nos advirtió contra el encanto de la indiferencia, e instó a estar atentos ante la idea de que el sufrimiento de otra persona es un problema que debe resolver otra persona.
Seamos lo más claros que podamos: la ejecución de israelíes y de otras personas a manos de terroristas de Hamás es abominable, y lamentamos a todos los que sufren este ataque violento en Israel. En este momento en el que Israel soporta la mayor matanza de judíos desde el Holocausto, no debemos ser perezosos ante esta verdad.
Este es un momento en el que debemos decir, sin equívocos, que los ataques sin sentido contra civiles inocentes siempre y en todas partes están equivocados.
La captura y violación de rehenes civiles, la matanza de padres e hijos, la matanza gratuita y sin provocación desatada contra los ciudadanos de Israel es una maldad y debemos condenarla.
Esta violencia entristece el mismo corazón de Dios, y Dios llora por el pueblo de Israel. La sangre que ahora empapa el suelo sagrado de Tierra Santa no hace más que enraizar las semillas de la amargura, el odio y la venganza.
Es igualmente cierto que el corazón de Dios se rompe por el sufrido del pueblo de Gaza. La gran mayoría de los palestinos que viven en Gaza no son terroristas y la mitad son niños que no han conocido otra cosa que la guerra durante toda su vida. La respuesta de Israel debe proteger a los inocentes. Incluso cuando los terroristas atacan a civiles a propósito, las democracias deben ceder al mandato humanitario de proteger a los inocentes y a los más vulnerables.
Algunas cosas son tan ciertas a un lado de la frontera como al otro: No hay justificación -ninguna- para tomar rehenes o atentar contra inocentes. Estamos llamados a defender la protección de todos los no combatientes, y oramos por los rehenes en la oscuridad de su miedo. Como cristianos, escuchamos la voz de Jesús, que vino entre nosotros como el Príncipe de la Paz. “Bienaventurados los misericordiosos”, dijo, “porque ellos recibirán misericordia. … Bienaventurados los pacificadores, porque serán llamados hijos de Dios”. Estamos con nuestro hermano el arzobispo Hosam Naoum, de la diócesis episcopal de Jerusalén y Oriente Próximo, y nos unimos a su ferviente oración para que Dios “esté presente para todos los que sufren, para las personas de todos los credos -judíos, cristianos y musulmanes- y para toda la gente de la tierra.”
Al aceptar su Premio Nobel de la Paz en 1986, Elie Wiesel desafió al mundo a volver nuestros ojos a los lugares más doloridos. Y hoy, volvemos nuestros ojos y dirigimos nuestras oraciones a la Tierra Santa empapada de lágrimas.
“Cuando las vidas humanas están en peligro, cuando la dignidad humana está en peligro… dondequiera que hombres y mujeres sean perseguidos a causa de su raza, su religión o sus opiniones políticas”, nos recuerda, “ese lugar debe convertirse -en ese momento- en el centro del universo”.
Señor, en tu misericordia, escucha nuestra oración.
by Bishop Mariann | Oct 11, 2023
From The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral:
Two years ago this week, this Cathedral dedicated a stone carving of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, a faithful Jew and a stalwart defender of Israel. During the dedication service, his only son, Elisha, addressed his late father.
“You taught us that language matters, and truth matters,” he said to his father. “But we have grown lazy with language, and lazy with the truth.”
Elie Wiesel warned us against the allure of indifference, and he urged vigilance against the idea that somebody else’s suffering is somebody else’s problem to solve.
Let us be as clear as we can be: the execution of Israelis and others at the hands of Hamas terrorists is abhorrent, and we grieve with everyone in Israel who is suffering from this violent attack. In this moment when Israel endures the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, we must not be lazy about this truth.
This is a moment when we must say, without equivocation, that the senseless targeting of innocent civilians is always and everywhere wrong.
The capture and rape of civilian hostages, the slaughter of parents and children, the wanton and unprovoked carnage unleashed against the citizens of Israel is evil, and we must condemn it.
This violence grieves the very heart of God, and God weeps for the people of Israel. The blood that now soaks the sacred ground of the Holy Land gives root to little more than the seeds of bitterness, hatred and retribution.
It is equally true that God’s heart breaks for the suffering people of Gaza. The vast majority of Palestinians living in Gaza are not terrorists, and half are children who have known nothing but war for their entire lives. Israel’s response must protect the innocent. Even as terrorists purposefully target civilians, democracies must yield to the humanitarian mandate to protect the innocent and the most vulnerable.
Some things are true on one side of the border as they are on the other: There is no justification – none – for taking hostages or targeting innocents. We are called to stand for the protection of all non-combatants, and we pray for the hostages in the darkness of their fear.
As Christians, we hear the voice of Jesus, who came among us as the Prince of Peace. “Blessed are the merciful,” he said, “for they will receive mercy. … Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” We stand with our brother Archbishop Hosam Naoum of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and we join in his fervent prayer that God will “be present for all who suffer, for people of all faiths – Jews, Christian, and Muslim – and for all people of the land.”
In accepting his Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, Elie Wiesel challenged the world to turn our eyes to the places most in pain. And today, we cast our eyes and direct our prayers to the tear-soaked Holy Land.
“When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy … wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views,” he reminds us, “that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
by EDOW | Sep 25, 2023
Cámara de Obispos aprueba declaración sobre rendición de cuentas
Durante la sesión de trabajo final de su reunión virtual de otoño del 19 al 22 de septiembre, la Cámara de Obispos de la Iglesia Episcopal aprobó la siguiente declaración:
DECLARACIÓN DE LA CÁMARA DE OBISPOS DE LA IGLESIA EPISCOPAL SOBRE LA RESPONSABILIDAD DE LOS OBISPOS | 22 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023
Nosotros, la Cámara de Obispos de la Iglesia Episcopal, reunida de manera virtual del 19 al 22 de septiembre de 2023, deseamos expresar nuestras más sinceras oraciones, buenos deseos y amor al Rvdmo. Michael B. Curry, Obispo Presidente y Primado de la Iglesia Episcopal y a su familia. Oramos fervientemente por su continuo restablecimiento y su plena salud.
Nuestro tiempo juntos en diálogo sincero y en oración ferviente nos ha recordado cuán profundamente el amor de Dios en Jesús une a toda la Iglesia como Cuerpo de Cristo, nos capacita para el servicio en la misión de Dios y nos llama a rendir cuentas unos a otros. Reconocemos la decepción, el dolor y la pena que se sienten en toda la Iglesia Episcopal, y en cualquier diócesis, con respecto a la cuestión de la responsabilidad moral, eclesiástica y pastoral de los obispos. El dolor es absolutamente real y urgente, tanto en las diócesis específicamente afectadas por casos recientes, como en los casos en los que las recientes quejas han recordado traumas anteriores en otros lugares.
Jesús dijo que la forma en que nos relacionamos con los más vulnerables es la forma en que nos relacionamos con él (Mateo 19:14, 25:40). Como discípulos de Jesús y servidores del pueblo de Dios, reconocemos el imperativo de ejercer nuestra responsabilidad como obispos de manera justa, fiel y siguiendo el ejemplo de nuestro Salvador. Cada uno de nosotros en esta Cámara hemos hecho el voto de defender a los que no tienen quien los ayude.
Con un espíritu de responsabilidad y buscando acercarnos a la Amada Comunidad, apoyamos plenamente el llamado de la Rda Barbara Kempf como gestora del Título IV para los Obispos. También reconocemos y afirmamos la participación de los obispos, el clero y los laicos en el proceso disciplinario de los obispos. Agradecemos que el Obispo Primado haya pedido a la Comisión Permanente de Gobierno, Estructura, Constitución y Cánones que revise los cánones disciplinarios del Título IV, escuche las preocupaciones y esperanzas de la Iglesia, identifique lo que ha funcionado y lo que necesita mejorar, y haga recomendaciones a la próxima Convención General.
Entendemos que cuando cualquier obispo viola la confianza que la iglesia ha depositado en nosotros, el Cuerpo de Cristo sufre. Somos llamados a ser ejemplos sanos para el rebaño y proclamadores de la Buena Nueva de Cristo a todo el mundo. Confiando en el poder del Espíritu Santo y la gracia de Dios, nos comprometemos unos con otros y con toda la Iglesia que haremos nuestra parte en la labor necesaria para lograr los auténticos cambios que nuestra Iglesia necesita «para caminar en el amor, como Cristo nos amó y se entregó por nosotros, como ofrenda y sacrificio a Dios».
UN COMPROMISO CON LA IGLESIA
El camino del amor en comunidad siempre nos llama a establecer límites sagrados y a comprometernos con la mutua responsabilidad. Con este fin, nosotros, los obispos de la Iglesia Episcopal, nos comprometemos a continuar la labor de rendición de cuentas a largo plazo. Entendemos que este quehacer implica dimensiones canónicas, culturales y relacionales.
Nos comprometemos a colaborar entre nosotros, con la Cámara de Diputados y con los líderes de toda la Iglesia para proteger a los vulnerables, respetando la dignidad de cada ser humano.
Nos comprometemos a responsabilizarnos unos a otros de los estándares de conducta establecidos por nuestros votos de ordenación y el Pacto Bautismal, esforzándonos, con la ayuda de Dios, a ejercer las responsabilidades del liderazgo de servicio que tiene su modelo en Jesús.
by EDOW | Sep 25, 2023
During the concluding business session of its virtual fall meeting Sept. 19-22, the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church adopted the following statement:
STATEMENT ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF BISHOPS FROM THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
We, the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church, meeting online September 19-22, 2023, wish to express our heartfelt prayers, well-wishes, and love to the Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, and his family. We fervently pray for his continued healing and restoration to health and wholeness.
Our time together in candid conversation and in fervent prayer has reminded us of how profoundly the love of God in Jesus knits the whole Church together as the Body of Christ, empowers us for service to God’s mission, and calls us to accountability one to another. We acknowledge the disappointment, pain, and grief felt across The Episcopal Church, and in any diocese, regarding the issue of moral, ecclesiastical, and pastoral accountability for bishops. The pain is absolutely real and urgent, both in the dioceses specifically affected by recent cases, and in cases where the recent complaints have recalled prior traumas elsewhere.
Jesus said how we relate to those who are most vulnerable is how we relate to him (Matt. 19:14, 25:40). As disciples of Jesus and servants of the people of God, we acknowledge the imperative to exercise our responsibility as bishops justly, faithfully, and after the example of our Savior. Each of us in this House has taken a vow to defend those who have no helper.
In the spirit of accountability and seeking to move closer to Beloved Community, we fully support the calling of the Reverend Barbara Kempf as the Title IV Intake Officer for Bishops. We also acknowledge and affirm the involvement of bishops, clergy, and laity in the disciplinary process for bishops. We are thankful that the Presiding Bishop has called on the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons to review the Title IV disciplinary process, listen to the concerns and hopes of the church, identify what has worked and what needs improvement, and make recommendations to the next General Convention.
We understand that when any bishop breaks the trust placed in us by the church, the Body of Christ suffers. We are called to be wholesome examples to the flock and proclaimers of the Good News of Christ to all the world. Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, we commit to each other and to the whole Church that we will do our part in the work necessary to bring about the authentic changes our church needs “to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.”
A COMMITMENT TO THE CHURCH
The way of love in community always calls us to establish holy boundaries and commit to mutual accountability. To this end, we, the bishops of The Episcopal Church, pledge to continue the long-term work of accountability. We understand this work involves canonical, cultural, and relational dimensions.
We pledge to work with each other, with the House of Deputies, and with leaders across the church to protect the vulnerable, respecting the dignity of every human being.
We pledge to hold each other accountable to standards of conduct set by our ordination vows and the Baptismal Covenant, striving, with God’s help, to exercise the responsibilities of servant leadership modeled by Jesus.
by EDOW | Sep 26, 2022
Poor People’s Campaign Congressional Briefing
September 22, 2022
Statement from the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
My name is Mariann Budde and I serve as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, a geographic region of our denomination which encompasses all of the District of Columbia and four of the most populous Maryland counties.
Within this region are some of the most affluent communities in the nation, and some of the poorest. There are children who attend the finest schools that money can buy, and others consigned to schools that are understaffed and woefully under-resourced. Some families live in luxury; others in rat-infested apartments and, in the rural areas, in homes with no running water or electricity.
This region boasts of some of the finest restaurants and grocery stores, which everyone in this chamber has enjoyed, and yet food insecurity is pervasive not only among those who are homeless and unemployed, but also among the working poor. In one such program run out of one of our churches, 1100 families depend weekly on distributions of food; in another, located in what appears to be an affluent neighborhood, hundreds of people line up each week for an allotment of two grocery bags. Most who seek this assistance work are working more than one job, yet do not earn a living wage.
Every day, we as clergy must decide whom we will serve. And I daresay, so do you.
The economic disparity in our nation, that has shockingly increased over our lifetimes, is the root cause of nearly every one of our society’s seemingly intractable problems. It is the result of public policy decisions made under the undue influence of those who stand to benefit most from that disparity.
We are not naive. Those who benefit from the policies as they are would prefer, and work hard, to keep those consigned to poverty silenced and invisible. But this movement exists to ensure that they will not be kept silent–and neither will we.
We are here to remind you of your sacred duty as elected officials of this democracy.
Specifically, we are here to speak in one voice, asking you to take a position before the midterm elections on three critical issues: voter suppression, designed to keep those most adversely affected by economic disparities out of our political process; legislation to ensure a living wage for those who work hard each day and often through the night, and still do not earn enough to meet basic needs, and to simply to extend the policies proven to have lifted millions of families out of poverty–namely the child income tax credit.
Why on earth would we consign families to poverty again, when a change in policy and resource allocation had such a life-affirming outcome? It is not cruel; it is short-sighted.
We are asking you to be brave. We are asking you to lead, to address the shameful disparities that public policies and laws have created, and that public policies and laws can correct.
Thank you.
by Bishop Mariann | Jun 24, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued rulings this week on two of the most divisive issues in American society, striking down handgun restrictions in New York and overturning Roe v. Wade.
While both rulings were anticipated, the news of them sends reverberations across the country, and I write to acknowledge the pain and fear they invoke among those of us who had hoped the highest court in the land would uphold a woman’s right to full reproductive health and use its power to help curb the epidemic of gun violence in our land.
In neither case will these rulings settle the issues they address. Greater access to guns will only increase gun violence and death, and history shows that restricting legal access to abortion disproptionately impacts the heath and safety of low-income women. Moreover, overturning an almost fifty-year precedent of constitutional protection for women, will, in the words of Dean Randy Hollerith, “only further inflame the country’s profound division on abortion.”
The Episcopal Church’s positions on both issues–gun violence and women’s reproductive rights–seek to strengthen the moral fabric of our society, protect individual rights as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and address the inequities among us that are an affront to God. Thus we will continue to seek common ground where possible and constructive dialogue among varied points of view. This week’s rulings make our work harder and all the more important.
I pray God’s mercy and strength as we face the days ahead, giving thanks to all in our church and beyond who persevere in hope.
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Bishop of Washington
