Former Belleville bishop gains national attention for criticism of Trump’s church visit
Archbishop Wilton Gregory, the former bishop of the Diocese of Belleville who currently leads the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. , sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling his visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine “reprehensible.”
On Monday, Trump had also visited St. John’s Episcopal church after it had been damaged during protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Law enforcement authorities used force to break up several peaceful protests, forming a path to the from the White House to St. John’s, the Associated Press reported.
Photos were soon published showing Trump holding up a Bible in front of the church.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the national shrine on Tuesday, holding hands before a statue of Pope John Paul II before turning back toward photographers.
Gregory’s criticism, which has garnered the attention of several national media outlets, stated the National Shrine’s patron saint, Pope John Paul II, would not have condoned use of the church for a “photo opportunity,” or the use of force against peaceful protesters.
“I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree,” Gregory said in a statement. “Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings. His legacy bears vivid witness to that truth. He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace.”
Gregory, 72 was installed as Washington, D.C. Archbishop last year, after serving in the same position for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia for the previous 14 years. Gregory came to Belleville from his hometown of Chicago in 1994 to lead more than 100 Catholic parishes and 100,000
His leadership experience includes serving as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops when the crisis of sex abuse by Catholic clergy was escalating, according to an Archdiocese of Atlanta biography.
On Wednesday, Trump told a Fox New’s Radio host that “most religious leaders” loved the photo and that only “the other side” didn’t like it.
Over the weekend, Gregory called for non-violent, constructive work to heal and build a “Beloved Community” that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once described.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 12:54 PM.