CV NEWS FEED // Bishop Robert Gruss of Saginaw, Michigan this weekend said that his previous comment calling President Joe Biden “stupid” was in “poor judgment,” and encouraged people to view the original presentation to understand the context of his comment.
On April 5, Bishop Gruss gave a presentation titled, “Forgiveness as the Heart of Christianity,” at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, during which he called Biden “stupid” for his ignorance about the Catholic Faith.
On April 20 the bishop issued a statement addressing his previous comment about Biden.
“I was speaking in the context of forgiving the president and any people in government who offend us by their words and actions – that we cannot harbor resentment toward them because in doing so, it would be sinful,” Bishop Gruss stated.
He emphasized that Catholics have to forgive in order to be free, and encouraged readers to view the full talk online to hear the full context of his remark.
“I used the word ‘stupid’ in reference to President Biden, recognizing that it was poor judgment in my choice of words. It was not meant to be disparaging, and I apologize,” Bishop Gruss concluded in his April 20 statement:
I will continue to pray for the president and all political leaders, that they may seek and be guided by the Spirit of Truth. I encourage people of all faiths and goodwill to pray for our great nation.
As CatholicVote previously reported, during the April 5 talk Bishop Gruss “encouraged people who hold onto anger toward President Joe Biden to go to Confession.”
“Forgiveness is not just about people,” Bishop Gruss said during the presentation. “It’s about relationships, and we have a relationship to the Church. We have a relationship to the government. So if you’re harboring bad, negative, resentful feelings toward our president, you’re not free. You’re not. The Lord’s inviting you to forgive him.”
Speaking personally, Bishop Gruss said later in the talk, “I don’t have any anger toward the President. I feel sorry for him. I’m not angry. He’s just stupid.”
He added, “I’m sad for him (the President) because he’s not living the life Jesus wants for him. His life could be so much more, just like ours could be if we’re living the life Jesus wants for us.”
The full talk can be viewed here.
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