Catholic bishops express regret over White House prayer photo with President Trump

The statements highlight tensions between religious leaders and political administrations over the public use of private meetings near an election, drawing attention to how faith figures navigate political engagement.

• •Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob and Des Moines Bishop William Joensen issued public statements expressing regret over a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
• •The meeting took place on a Thursday, approximately two weeks before the midterm elections, and included 12 Catholic bishops in total.
• •Bishops Grob and Joensen stated they were told the meeting would be private and did not give consent for the White House to release photos and a video of a prayer.
• •The White House invitation, extended in September, listed topics for discussion including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, abortion, and federal tax credits for private education.
• •Archbishop Grob stated the meeting was not an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his political party.
• •A White House spokeswoman declined to answer whether consent was given for the media release, instead defending President Trump's record with Catholic Americans.
• •Bishop Robert Barron agreed to serve on Trump's Religious Liberty Commission, demonstrating diverse views among members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding the administration.