Catholic Leaders Distance Themselves From Trump After Oval Office Prayer Video

Several Catholic leaders are distancing themselves from the White House in the lead up to the midterms, after an administration official posted a video of them praying over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

“The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” wrote Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob on Sunday.

Grob’s public apology — one of several shared over the past few days — came after Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser, posted an Oct. 22 video to X of a group of Catholic archbishops and bishops praying over the president — which immediately drew backlash both privately and on social media.

Grob said he and 11 other bishops were invited for a policy discussion and the opportunity to pray privately with Trump. Instead, he said, they were directed to stand behind the president’s desk and pray, with video recorded without their knowledge and publicized without their 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. “We should never have been put in that position by the White House.”

Des Moines Bishop William Joensen also expressed regret, saying the gathering was never intended to endorse a party or candidate.

“There are many things tied to this present Administration that are blatantly at odds with our Catholic faith,” Joensen wrote Saturday. “I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes.”

Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer, defended engaging with the administration while acknowledging the backlash.

“I understand that many people saw the video, posted by the Administration twelve days before an election, as an endorsement. That was never my intention,” he told Denver Catholic. He said the bishops discussed immigration, religious worker visas, religious freedom and school choice.

When asked for comment, the White House defended Trump’s record, but didn’t address the allegations of using the prayer moment for political gain.

“There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement, citing his actions on religious rights, pardons for anti-abortion activists and parental rights.

The latest episode adds to recent tensions between Catholic leaders and Trump over his administration’s actions and policies.

Earlier this month, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees Catholic ministry to the military, condemned plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan. Broglio urged Catholic soldiers assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from that duty, calling it contrary to church teachings.

Trump also clashed with Pope Leo XIV in April over the war in Iran, calling him “terrible for foreign policy.” The pope had called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable” and denounced religious justification for war. Leo said it was “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump, but pledged to continue preaching peace.