Bishops Regret Oval Office Prayer After Video Leak
Archbishops Grob and Joensen say the 22 October meeting was private, but released footage sparked debate two weeks before the 3 November midterm elections.
By Thomas Rogers ·
Two senior American Catholic leaders expressed regret over a recent meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. The apology followed the release of photos and video showing the bishops praying with the president at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office on 22 October.
Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser, posted the footage on social media. Martin frequently shares behind-the-scenes images of Trump. The video captures a group of bishops standing around the president. The release occurred less than two weeks before the national election.
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee said he believed the session was private. He stated that he did not view it as a political photo opportunity. Grob noted that he and the other bishops spent 90 minutes meeting with officials before entering the Oval Office to pray. He claimed that none of the participants gave permission for the public distribution of the images or video.
Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, issued a written statement explaining the context of the visit. He said White House Faith Office officials arranged the meeting to discuss immigration, visas for international clergy, and the exploitation of vulnerable poor persons. Joensen emphasized that no bishop intended to endorse any political party or individual candidate.
Joensen expressed that he wished he had been more shrewd and less simple. He referenced those who used the meeting for partisan political purposes. Grob reported receiving messages of serious concern from congregants. Some parishioners felt wounded because they or their families had been harmed by the president's policies.
The White House did not directly address the bishops' comments in response to a BBC inquiry. Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers released a statement praising the president's record. She stated that there has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump.
Pew Research Center data shows a shift in Catholic support for Trump. In a survey released this month, 30 percent of US Catholics approved of his job performance. This figure dropped from 47 percent when he returned to the White House in 2025. The same survey found that 42 percent of Catholics preferred Democrats in their local House of Representatives races, while 39 percent favored Republicans.
The 3 November midterm elections will decide control of Congress. The administration has maintained a tense relationship with Pope Leo XIV over immigration enforcement. Bishop Brendon Cahill and Walter Kim of the National Association of Evangelicals urged Christian compassion in the immigration debate nine days before the Oval Office meeting. They criticized the clampdown for sowing fear and fracturing families.
Source: BBC News
