A top cathedral dean in the United States has criticised Christians who have decided that Donald Trump is someone who shall not be named in prayers.

Dumping Trump's name from the prayers is a dumb idea, says the dean. 

"Donald Trump is not Lord Voldemort," says the Very Rev Michael Sniffen, Dean of the Episcopal Church's Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, Long Island, New York.

He adds: "Donald Trump will be the president whether we stick our fingers in our ears and sing 'holy, holy, holy' during the saying of his name, or not." 

Voldemort is the personification of evil and deceit in JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels. He is known by the characters in the book as: "He who must not be named."

Sniffen writes: "That is a fictional character from a world where people carry magic wands and ride brooms. If I'm wrong and Trump is Lord Voldemort, we should immediately gather all children with conspicuous scars or birthmarks for an evaluation of their abilities to vanquish 'he who must not be named'. Avada Kedavra!" 

It is traditional in The Episcopal Church of the US, as in the Church of England and other Anglican Churches worldwide, to pray for those in authority.

In England, this means prayers each Sunday for members of the royal family, the Prime Minister and members of her governent, the Queen and the diocesan bishop. Individuals mentioned are usually named, so the Queen is referred to as "Elizabeth, our Queen".

In the United States, where the National Cathedral in Washington is hosting an inaugural prayer event, many theologians and clergy are arguing over whether Trump should be mentioned by name.

Only this week, one Episcopal church minister decreed that his church will not pray for Donald Trump by name, even though his parish has always named Barack Obama in prayers. This is because, he said, Trump is a "trauma trigger".

Writing in his blog, Sniffen refutes this reasoning. He says Trump should be prayed for by name.

"His name should be included for many reasons: theological, social, political, practical, biblical and historical," says Sniffen. "If you think that excluding Donald Trump's name from your prayers for the president is somehow subversive or an act of resistance, you must be a person of extraordinary privilege. This is perhaps the wimpiest, no-cost act of subversion or resistance imaginable. Really, how tawdry."

If people really believe Donald Trump is the "enemy" – a word Christians often use to refer to the devil – or the embodiment of evil, then they should actively seek to name him, says the dean.

"Naming those who seek to do us harm takes their power away and strips them of their unholy mystery."

In the JK Rowling novels the Ministry of Magic embargoes Voldemort's name, but Harry Potter insists on saying it out loud, eventually defeating him.

Episcopalians have been praying for Donald Trump by name at the Cathedral of the Incarnation since the first Sunday after Election Day.

The cathedral has also offered pastoral care to those concerned about his election.

Sniffen himself admits he will not be at the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral.

"I'll be at the Women's March on Washington with my family, friends, neighbors, clergy and others whose rights, dignity, safety and sanity are under threat from the spectre of the Trump administration."