Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele claims that 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump got the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, wrong in his post wishing her happy birthday.
After the show I asked the Chairman @MichaelSteele (FYI he’s a theologian low key) if it was really Mary’s birthday and what exactly the issue is with the picture Trump posted https://t.co/iadM2BC5TZ pic.twitter.com/ufZysbP9eK
— Symone D. Sanders Townsend (@SymoneDSanders) September 8, 2024
Verdict: Misleading
The Catholic Church celebrates Mary’s birthday on Sept. 8. Some Eastern Orthodox Churches also celebrate it on Sept. 8. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is allegedly a vision of Mary that was seen by St. Juan Diego.
Fact Check:
Trump shared an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and wished the Blessed Virgin Mary a happy birthday in a post on Truth Social and X. Symone Sanders Townsend shared a video of Steele, who said it was not Mary’s birthday.
“It was Sept. 15 that we celebrate the birth of Mary. But the problem is, you don’t say happy birthday Mary…But number two, the image that Donald Trump is our Lady of Guadalupe. Which is not celebrated until Dec. 12. Which is when Mary appeared in Guadalupe. He just doesn’t know what he’s doing. So yeah, it’s all wrong,” Steele said.
Steele’s claims are misleading. Sept. 8 is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the 2024 liturgical calendar of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was superseded by Sunday liturgy, but the USCCB celebrated the Nativity last year. Nativity means “the process or circumstances of being born,” according to Merriam Webster Dictionary. (RELATED: Did The Vatican Remove 14 Books From The Bible?)
“Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.” Today, we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May we always look to her example of faith, hope, and love. #USCCB pic.twitter.com/gptv2FE1mi
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) September 8, 2023
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America also celebrates the “Feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary” on Sept. 8, according to the archdiocese’s website. It is also celebrated by the Orthodox Church of America on Sept. 8.
Sept. 15 is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows, which “commemorates the profound union of heart that existed between the Mother of the Redeemer and the Savior,” according to EWTN. Mary is known as Our Lady of Sorrows and the title is taken from a prophecy of Simeon in the Gospel of Luke, which states that “a sword will pierce through” Mary’s “soul,” per EWTN.
The image shown is that of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is known as a Marian apparition, which are “appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary, coming down from heaven to earth,” according to Ascension Press. Our Lady of Guadalupe allegedly appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531, per Ascension Press. Diego was canonized as a saint by St. Pope John Paul II in 2002.
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day is Dec. 12, according to the Arizona Republic. She is the patron saint of Mexico and is known as the Empress of the Americas, per the Catholic News Agency.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Check Your Fact that “Michael Steele suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and has let it rot his brain and his ability to live in reality.”
Check Your Fact reached out to MSNBC and the Michael Steele Network for comment.