Bishops Regret Oval Office Prayer Session Released Days Before Vote

Two Catholic bishops say they did not agree to public release of images showing them praying with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 22 October, and they now regret that the meeting became visible to congregants. Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob said he received messages raising concern that he had taken part in a political event less than two weeks before the 3 November midterms.

Grob said he had understood the gathering to be private and not "a political photo opportunity." He said participants spent 90 minutes with officials before being brought into the Oval Office, and he said none of them gave permission for photos or video of the event to be distributed. A video was posted by Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser.

Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, said the White House Faith Office arranged the meeting to discuss immigration, visas for international clergy, and the "exploitation of vulnerable poor persons." In a statement posted online, he said the participants did not intend to endorse any party or candidate, and added, "I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes." He also wrote that he heard from people who felt wounded by the effects of the president's policies on themselves or their families.

The White House did not answer questions about the meeting or the bishops' remarks. Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement, "There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it."

A Pew Research Center survey this month found 30% of US Catholics approved of Trump's job performance, down from 47% when he returned to the White House in 2025. In the same survey, 42% of Catholics preferred Democratic candidates in local House races, while 39% favored Republicans.

Trump's relationship with Pope Leo has been tense during his second term as the administration has moved to remove people believed to be in the country illegally. Nine days before the bishops entered the Oval Office, Bishop Brendon Cahill and National Association of Evangelicals president Walter Kim issued a statement urging "Christian compassion and wisdom in the immigration debate," writing that the clampdown had produced "the sowing of fear, the fracturing of families, the deprivation of due process, and the vilification of our neighbors."