Two Catholic Bishops Say They Regret Praying in Trump's Oval Office
Two U.S. bishops regret having prayed with Donald Trump in the Oval Office after the White House circulated the footage as a campaign image.
Two Catholic bishops who bowed their heads in prayer alongside Donald Trump in the Oval Office now regret the move. They accuse the White House of turning a private prayer shortly before the U.S. midterm elections on November 3 into a campaign opportunity. Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines were among twelve bishops who met with government representatives last Thursday, and on the weekend they each published separate statements of regret.
The criticism was triggered by the White House posting video and photographs of the prayer on social media shortly after the meeting. The caption said, in substance, that Catholic archbishops and bishops were praying with the U.S. president. In a statement headed "A Public Apology," Grob wrote that he feels "a deep sadness" over the pain the images had caused. People were alarmed that he had unintentionally taken part in a political event on the eve of a national election. Others were hurt because Trump's policies affect their families. "We should never have been put in this position by this White House," Grob wrote. He had reservations and wishes he had listened to them.
Bishop Joensen said many things associated with the current administration are "clearly at odds" with the Catholic faith. None of the bishops had overlooked that the meeting took place close to the election, but no one had wanted to support a party or a candidate. Joensen said he wished he had been wiser and less naive, like those who had exploited the meeting for partisan purposes.
According to Grob, the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, which stands behind Project 2025 for Trump's second term, had arranged the meeting. The bishops had been promised a private conversation about immigration enforcement, visas for religious workers and human dignity, with the possible opportunity to pray privately with the president. After 90 minutes with domestic policy staff, they were led into the Oval Office, given commemorative gifts and asked to pray behind Trump's desk. No one had told them a recording would be made, and they had never agreed to its publication.
Bishop Joensen said representatives connected with the White House Office of Faith-Based Partnerships had invited him. The agenda also reportedly included incentives for fertility treatments, abortion-inducing drugs and tax credits for private schools. Archbishop James Golka of Denver, another participant, told the newspaper of his archdiocese that he understood why many read the video as an endorsement, but "that was never my intention." He was inconsolable that people had been hurt, and that some were deliberately using the moment to sow discord.
Bishop Scott Bullock of Rapid City told the National Catholic Reporter that a Heritage Foundation representative had invited him, and that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was "not unaware" of the meeting. He did not name who in the leadership had known about it.
The accusations fit into a broader trend. In his second term, Trump has closely linked Christian prayer with government work. In February 2025 he created, by executive order, a White House Office of Faith-Based Partnerships, and in the same month a task force led by the Department of Justice tasked with eliminating anti-Christian bias in federal agencies. In April the president faced criticism for posting on his Truth Social platform an AI-generated image showing him as a Jesus-like figure. He later deleted the post and said it was meant to depict him as a doctor healing people.
Christian services were also held at the Pentagon, which according to the Associated Press were led only by evangelicals. In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prayed for "overwhelming violence" against "those who deserve no mercy" in the Iran war. When Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, at his inaugural prayer service, urged him to show mercy toward migrants and LGBTQ+ people, Trump demanded an apology from her and her church, which she refused.
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has urged Catholics to put faith above politics before the election. The bishops will meet in Baltimore in November for their annual fall assembly, about two weeks after the election. Grob closed his apology by saying he feels "sincere regret." He also wrote: "We are, as always, a pilgrim people. And that includes the bishops."
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