Two Catholic bishops have voiced regret over taking part in a White House meeting that led to a widely shared photo of them praying with President Trump. Both said the session was used in ways they had not expected.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob released a statement on Sunday titled "A Public Apology." He said he had received many questions and comments about Thursday's meeting, which he and 11 other bishops attended. Some of the messages, he said, came from people who were distraught.
Grob said the White House quickly publicized the gathering with photos and a video, and did so without the participants' consent. The release came less than two weeks before a national election. "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," he said.
According to Grob and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, the invitation was extended in September and promised discussion of topics including enforcement, religious worker visas, and the use of federal tax credits to support private education. Grob wrote that the bishops were told the meeting would be private, that several Catholic Cabinet members might appear, and that there could be a chance to pray privately with the president.
"The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party," Grob wrote. He said the White House posted video and photos of the prayer soon afterward. He then began receiving messages from people worried that he had inadvertently joined a political event so close to an election, and from others who 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," Grob said. He added that he had not gone without reservations and wished he had heeded them. "I apologize for any damage my actions have done," he concluded.
Joensen also issued a statement indicating he felt the White House had taken advantage of the group. "I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purpose," he wrote. He said he hoped to be more prudent going forward while remaining open to engaging and praying for political leaders at all levels.
The White House press office declined to say whether it had obtained the bishops' consent to release the photos and video. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers instead said, "There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it."
Members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops hold a range of views on Trump and his administration. Bishop Robert Barron, based in Minnesota, agreed to serve on the president's Religious Liberty Commission, which is made up almost entirely of conservative Christians. Other bishops have strongly criticized parts of the administration's tough approach to immigration enforcement, saying it conflicts with Catholic teaching.
