Catholic bishops express regret after White House turns prayer into election-season spectacle
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Archbishop Jeffrey Grob and Bishop William Joensen said they regretted joining a prayer session with President Donald Trump that the White House filmed and posted ahead of the November midterm elections, calling out the political misuse of a private religious moment.
Two Catholic prelates said they regretted taking part in a prayer session with President Donald Trump that was recorded and posted by the White House on social media ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, both among a group of twelve bishops who met with administration officials on Thursday, issued statements over the weekend expressing remorse over being drawn into what they viewed as a politically loaded display.
"We should never have been put in that position by the White House," Grob wrote, adding that he had serious reservations about the meeting and wished he had acted differently.
"Many things tied to this present Administration are at odds with our Catholic faith," Joensen said, noting that the bishops did not intend to endorse any political party or candidate.
The White House posted video and photos of the bishops praying in the Oval Office, captioned as Catholic leaders praying with the president. According to Grob, the Heritage Foundation arranged the meeting, presenting it as a private discussion on immigration enforcement, religious-worker visas and human dignity, with an opportunity to pray privately with the president. He said the bishops were not informed that the session was being recorded and did not consent to the video's release, underscoring how easily religious outreach can be exploited for partisan optics.
Joensen said officials from the White House Faith Office invited him, and that the agenda also covered fertility-treatment incentives, abortion-inducing drugs and tax credits for private schools. Other participating bishops, including Archbishop James Golka of Denver and Bishop Scott Bullock of Rapid City, indicated they understood why the video could be seen as an endorsement but said it was not their intention.
The incident comes as President Trump’s second term has seen the creation of a White House Faith Office and a Justice Department task force aimed at addressing perceived anti-Christian bias in federal agencies. Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have urged the faithful to prioritize religion over politics in the upcoming vote.