A recent meeting between several archbishops and Catholic bishops from North America and U.S. President Donald Trump took place in the Oval Office of the White House last Thursday, October 22. Following the publication of video footage from this meeting, which shows the bishops praying alongside the Republican, a debate arose, and apologies have already been issued.
The video began to cause controversy because it appeared shortly before the midterm elections in North America, which could create an impression of support from the Catholic Church.
On Sunday, one of the attending archbishops, Jeffrey Grobe, publicly apologized for what happened, accusing the Trump administration of using the meeting for political purposes. In his statement titled 'Public Apology,' Grobe asserted that the White House distributed photos and videos of the Thursday meeting without the consent of the attending archbishops and bishops.
He stated: 'I feel deep sorrow, not only for the pain I caused, but also because such a practice sacred to a group of religious leaders, the prayer for our Heavenly Father, was manipulated in this way.' He added: 'We came with good intentions to work for the good of our neighbors, alleviate suffering, build common good, and pray with the president, not to pose for a political photo for the benefit of a few.'
Jeffrey Grobe also emphasized that the meeting with Donald Trump 'in no way represented support for the president, his policies, or his party.' He noted that he viewed the meeting as an opportunity to 'discuss important issues for the Church and for the people, including the application of immigration law, visas for religious workers, and human dignity.'
The archbishop reported that he was told the meeting would be a private conversation attended by various Catholic members and that there would be an opportunity to pray personally with the president. He continued that he carefully considered whether or not to participate. 'Ultimately, I felt that if I had the opportunity to express my opinion to improve the lives of God's children, I should take it. I pray daily for our elected representatives; I felt it was appropriate to do so in person.'
He also revealed that after a 90-minute meeting, the archbishops and bishops were escorted into the Oval Office of the White House, where they were instructed to stand behind the president and pray. 'Several photos were taken afterward, and we were asked to leave. A video recording was also made without the knowledge of the group,' he said, adding that 'permission for the distribution or publication of the video or photos was not given.'
After the video was released, Jeffrey Grobe reported that he began receiving messages from people who 'felt hurt due to the damage they or their families suffered because of the president's policies.'
Archbishop James Golka also commented on the meeting in an interview with the Denver Catholic newspaper, acknowledging concerns about the political implications of the video. Nevertheless, he stressed that praying for elected officials remains a long-standing Catholic practice. He noted: 'I didn't entirely know what to do. On one hand, it was a great opportunity to raise important issues for the good of the church. On the other hand, I knew people might be upset. Although I thought it would be a private meeting, I also knew it could be shared, and some might use it for political purposes.'
White House defends Donald Trump
For his part, White House Press Secretary Taylor Rogers defended Donald Trump's record on religious freedom and the priorities of the Catholic Church in statements to Fox News Digital. He stated: 'There has never been a better president for American Catholics than President Trump, and his strong track record proves it: he prevented the federal government from being instrumentalized against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, granted clemency to human rights activists for life, stopped the chemical torture of children in our country, and protected parental rights.'