Bob Mulroy for Oregon

BREAKING: Pope Leo appoints a Black vocal Trump critic to be a new bishop for Washington in a clear message to the President, his racist regime and his warmongering! Trump and Pete Hegseth are going to HATE this… The Holy Father announced that Rev. Robert Boxie III would become the youngest bishop in the United States, appointing him to be an auxiliary bishop to the Archdiocese of Washington. Rev. Boxie has previously been very critical of the Trump administration’s crusade against DEI and eliminating Black people from employment in the federal government. In an interview with Catholic Review, Boxie said that “It’s really frustrating — especially this moment that we’re living in. The attacks on ‘DEI’ — I don’t even know what that means anymore. It’s a term that’s been hijacked. It means a lot of things to a lot of different people.” “I think at its core, it’s what America is all about. We are a diverse nation with people from all over the world. Diversity is a good thing. Diversity is of God.” “And the fact that it’s been turned into something negative — or something that should be avoided or not talked about — just flies in the face of who we are as Americans.” “So much of our history has been exclusive, especially when it comes to race. And it’s just un-American; it’s un-Christian; it’s anti-Catholic.” He couldn’t be more right. The reason that DEI programs exist is because racial discrimination and white supremacy are hardcoded into American society and all American institutions. We saw this first-hand just this week when the Supreme Court gutted Section II of the Voting Rights Act and every red state began foaming at the mouth to strip political representation away from Black voters. Our history and our present is exclusive, and the anti-DEI campaigns of the right-wing show that we were correct to have them and need to redouble our efforts once we’re back in power. Rev. Boxie certainly has the resume to be an auxiliary bishop and well-deserves the role; but his placement in Washington feels like it carries a symbolic weight to it that matters greatly in this era of ignorance and contempt. Congratulations, Rev. Boxie!