Let’s name the truth: Bishop Budde’s call for mercy was not an attack. It was a reminder. A reminder that leadership without mercy is tyranny. A reminder that the church’s foundation lies in caring for the “least of these.” A reminder that our faith demands responsibility for the vulnerable.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who campaigned heavily against transgender athletes last year, called Budde a “woke Bishop” in a post on the social media platform X. Moreno, who immigrated to Florida as a child from Colombia, said Budde’s plea for mercy for undocumented immigrants was “insult to all of us who came to this country the right way.”

"The people who are in danger are the people who fear for their lives and their livelihoods," Budde said in an interview. "That’s where the focus should be."

A scholar of medieval Christianity explores the history of Christians who spoke out, unafraid to risk official censure or even death.

Budde was raised in Morris County by a single mom and a congregation that valued hard work. "I didn't see myself as minister material," she said.