Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob apologized after a White House video showed him and 11 other Catholic bishops praying over President Donald Trump, saying the administration turned a private policy discussion into a public political image.
“The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” Grob wrote in his Oct. 25 statement, “A Public Apology.” He said the bishops were told they would participate in a private discussion and might have an opportunity to pray privately with Trump, but were instead directed to stand behind the president in the Oval Office. The video was recorded “unbeknownst to the group of bishops,” he wrote, and distributed without their permission.
Grob said the bishops had spent about 90 minutes speaking with administration officials before entering the Oval Office. Topics included immigration enforcement, religious worker visas and human dignity, according to accounts from participants. The gathering was described by Grob as having been organized by the Heritage Foundation, although the conservative think tank disputed that characterization in comments to news organizations.
“I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way,” Grob wrote. He added that the bishops came “to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few.”
The video was posted Oct. 22 by White House communications adviser Margo Martin. Denver Archbishop James R. Golka led the prayer, asking God’s blessing on Trump and the nation. The Archdiocese of Denver’s official statement confirmed that Golka met with Trump and led the prayer, while later comments from the archbishop said the appearance was not intended as an endorsement.
Other bishops also sought to clarify their participation. Des Moines Bishop William Joensen said the meeting was not intended to endorse a political party or candidate and acknowledged that the encounter had been exploited for partisan purposes. He cited Jesus’ warning in Matthew 10:16, writing that he wished he had been “more shrewd and less simple” in assessing how the meeting could be used.
A spokesperson for Gallup Bishop James Wall said Wall’s experience matched Grob’s account and that he did not know a video was being recorded. The White House did not directly address the bishops’ claims in statements reported by major news organizations, instead defending Trump’s record on issues including abortion policy and restrictions on gender-affirming care. The episode has prompted the participating bishops to distance their pastoral presence from any endorsement of Trump as midterm elections approach.