Angered by Trump's use of St. John's Church in Washington

US President Donald Trump angered after his visit to the historic St. John's Church opposite the White House in Washington, and considered the visit an exploitation of religious symbols.

Mariann Budde, the bishop of St. John’s Church in Washington, sharply criticized the American president for his visit to the church, where he raised a gospel after the authorities evacuated the area from peaceful protesters.

Bishop Mariann, whose episcopal church belongs to the Church of Saint John, said in a statement on Monday evening that she was "angry" at Donald Trump's visit, and indicated that he had not arrived while in the church, famous for the frequent visits of current presidents since the beginning of the nineteenth century.

"He took the sacred symbols of our tradition and stood in front of the house of prayer in full expectation that it will be a festive moment," Budde said in an interview after her statement on Trump's visit, which was posted on the official account of the Episcopal Church on Twitter.

Budde said the church was "completely surprised" by the visit, and made it clear that she believed it came after he used tear gas in the area between the White House and the church to facilitate Trump's arrival there and to make his statement.

It is noteworthy that the church suffered minor damage on Sunday night as a result of a fire in the basement of the church, and Budde said "our suffering is slight" compared to the work destroyed by the recent looting, while defending the goals of peaceful protesters who respond to the killing of George Floyd.

"We can rebuild the church. We can replace the furniture of a nursing home," she said, referring to the damaged area, but added, "But we cannot restore a man's life."

For his part, Archbishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, issued his own statement saying that Trump "used the church building and the Holy Gospel for political partisan purposes."

"He committed this at a time when the pain and hurt are deepening in our country, and his act has not helped or treated us," added Curry, the first African-American to take over as Archbishop of America.

Trump walked from the White House in an area cleared for him to the Episcopal Church of St. John where he carried the Bible while pictures were taken of him with his daughter Ivanka and Minister of Justice William Barr.

"There was nothing I could do other than denounce it." Curry added, calling for a focus on "deeper wounds for the nation," amid continuing protests against ethnic injustice, according to the Associated Press.