More Religious Leaders than Ever Taking Part in Trump's Inauguration
Hollywood A-listers may be bypassing President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, but several religious leaders are participating by praying for his administration and reading Scripture for the ceremony.
Jim Bendat, an author and historian of inaugural ceremonies, said six religious leaders will take part -- the most ever for any president.
A rabbi, a cardinal, and four Protestant preachers will have roles. Each will have a minute to a minute and a half to pray or read the Bible.
"Some inaugurations have had just one, others have had two or three covering different religions, but this is a record," Bendat told The New York Times.
Those who are scheduled to take part in Trump's inauguration include:
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York since 2009;
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference;
Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham and the president and chief executive of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse;
Pastor Paula White, a TV-evangelist and Florida pastor;
Rabbi Marvin Hier, the founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization which is named after the Holocaust survivor and 20th-century Nazi hunter;
and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the leader of Great Faith Ministries International and Impact Television Network.
"There are 364 days a year for politics, for the two sides to pile on each other," Hier told the Times.
"Three hundred sixty-four days of that is enough. Once every four years, the president of United States deserves a pass from both sides from political bickering; otherwise, we weaken our democracy."
