Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral

Article | February 18, 2021

Clergy and Congregant Letter to President Biden

Blog|The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young

The Social Justice Working Group has written a letter that the Cathedral sent to President Biden expressing support for his actions in overturning several of the previous administration’s most egregious policies and encouraging the administration to act boldly to reorient the government’s approach to climate change, immigration, equity and racial justice.


Dear President Biden:

As the Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, let me congratulate you on being elected the 46th President of the United States and also congratulate California’s own Kamala Harris on being elected Vice President. Your affirmation of the American people’s common ideals and fundamental decency, and your commitment to the shared values and traditions of faith are welcome and inspiring.

Social justice and social outreach are central to the mission of Grace Cathedral. As the third largest Episcopal cathedral in the United States, we are a house of prayer for all people, home to a loving congregation of about 500 households, and a renowned landmark where diverse people come to celebrate, find solace, peace and quiet, connect with others, serve and be served, and learn.

It is in this spirit that I applaud you for acting without delay to reverse the most egregious examples of the previous administration’s shortsighted, punitive, and transparently political approach to public policy. The steps your administration is taking to restore America’s leadership in the global response to climate change, return decency and fairness to immigration policy, and commit the government to comprehensively address racial justice and structural inequities have special resonance for Grace Cathedral because you have made it a point to emphasize that they reflect the values of faith and morality to which communities such as ours are called.

I encourage you to build on these first steps by making care for the whole of creation, compassionate inclusion, and applying an equity lens to all policies the hallmarks of your administration. Our community of faithful people will seek to embody this approach in our worship, teaching, arts and cultural offerings, and when we speak out for social justice.

As we look ahead to the nation’s 245th year, please be assured that you and Vice President Harris and the members of your cabinet and administration will be in Grace Cathedral’s prayers.

Sincerely,

The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young

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