California Bishop Andrus makes statement about President’s executive orders

Posted Jan 31, 2017

[Episcopal Diocese of California] The following is a statement from the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”  Matthew 25:35

Over the last week, President Trump has issued several executive orders and memorandums that I and many others in the Episcopal Diocese of California find deeply troubling and contrary to the Episcopal Church’s clear directives to love our neighbors as ourselves and act as faithful stewards of our environment. The administration’s actions include an effort to restart construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline, a project that threatens the Standing Rock Sioux’s precious water supply and the integrity of their sacred lands; directives that would allow the deportation of undocumented immigrants from sanctuary cities like San Francisco; and an initiative to block residents of predominately Muslim countries from entering the United States—a move that has led to chaos, heartbreak, and confusion at airports at home and abroad.

I am calling on the members of the Diocese of California to pray for those affected by these discriminatory and divisive policies, and I am encouraging them continue their participation in peaceful protests and campaigns to contact elected officials. As a diocese, we must actively work through our fear and anger to bring about justice and peace for all who are oppressed and to make our nation a beacon of hope for the whole world. We must continue to push back against those who would deplete our precious ecological resources in exchange for financial profit, and we must honor the contributions of immigrants who are here to seek peace and stability for their families. Please join me in praying for our nation and for a change of heart for President Trump and his administration.

The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus
Bishop of California


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