By Tracy Connor
Executive Editor
Daily Beast
WASHINGTON, DC — The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., ripped into the Saint John Paul II National Shrine for allowing President Trump to visit on Tuesday—a day after peaceful protesters were tear-gassed to clear the way for a bizarre photo op at an Episcopal church. Archbishop Wilton Gregory didn’t even bother to slam Trump for the new PR stunt—instead training his ire on the shrine itself, which is bankrolled by the conservative Knights of Columbus. “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,” he said in a statement. “Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings… 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.”
