Catholic Bishops Regret Trump Prayer Photo, Say Meeting Was Used for 'Partisan Political Purposes'

Two Catholic bishops have expressed regret over a White House meeting with President Donald Trump after the administration publicly released photos and video of them praying with him. The bishops said the publicity risked making their participation appear to endorse Trump politically ahead of the US midterm elections.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob and the bishop of Des Moines, Iowa, William Joensen, said they regretted how the meeting was publicised, with Grob expressing sadness that prayer had been used in a way that caused distress among Catholics. In a statement titled 'A Public Apology' published on Sunday, Grob said he had received numerous messages about the meeting, which took place on Thursday and was attended by 12 bishops.

He said the White House quickly distributed the material without the participants' consent. '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. Joensen also questioned how the meeting was used, writing: 'I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes.'

Bishops Say Meeting Was Not a Political Endorsement

Grob said the bishops had accepted the invitation in good faith, expecting a private discussion about issues affecting the Church and the wider public. The invitation, extended in September, concerned issues including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and federal tax credits for private education.

Grob said the bishops had been told the meeting would be private, that several Catholic members of Trump's Cabinet might attend, and that they could have an opportunity to pray privately with the president. 'The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,' he said.

Grob said the White House published photographs and a video of the prayer shortly after the gathering without their consent. The timing, less than two weeks before the midterm elections, prompted concerns that the bishops' participation could be perceived as political, despite their stated intentions. He also said some people who contacted him felt hurt because they or their families had been 'harmed by the president's policies.'

'We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few,' he wrote. 'We should never have been put in that position by the White House.'

Joensen Regrets Not Being More Cautious

The bishop of Des Moines, Iowa, William Joensen, also said he wished he had been more alert to the possibility that the meeting could be exploited for partisan political purposes. 'I pray I am more prudent and wise going forward, even as I remain resolute in my openness to engaging and praying for political leaders at all levels,' he said.

He also added that several Trump administration policies were 'blatantly at odds with our Catholic faith,' explaining that he attended the meeting expecting a discussion and had been told that officials were interested in hearing the bishops' perspectives.

The statements did not suggest that either bishop intended to withdraw from engagement with political leaders. Instead, their criticism centred on the public release of the prayer images and the impression they could create about the Church's political affiliations.

White House Defends Trump's Record With Catholics

Asked whether the White House had obtained the bishops' consent before releasing the photos and video, the press office did not directly answer. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers instead defended Trump's relationship with Catholic Americans. 'There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it,' Rogers said.