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Two Catholic bishops have expressed regret over attending a meeting with 10 other prelates and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, saying they were “exploited.”
Photos and video of 12 clergy members praying over the president were released on Thursday, less than two weeks before the midterm elections. The images show the clergy members praying around Trump, who has his head bowed as he is seated at the Oval Office desk.
Now, one bishop in the meeting said he felt they were manipulated and apologized for “inadvertently” participating in a political event so close to an election. Another said the meeting was “exploited” for “partisan political purposes” and expressed regret for attending.
The image released by the White House starkly contrasted with how careful Pope Leo XIV has been to avoid taking sides in politics — the first American pope has insisted that bishops avoid any political partisanship. However, he has addressed policy issues more broadly, speaking out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the war in Iran, in addition to calling for tighter regulation of artificial intelligence.
The pope’s decision not to visit the United States in 2026 was also in large part due to the midterms, as papal visits traditionally do not take place during election cycles.
One of the attendees, Archbishop of Milwaukee Jeffrey Grob, said afterward that the meeting had been manipulated, that he was unaware their meeting was being recorded and that the bishops did not give permissions for the public distribution of the footage and images.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/26/politics/catholic-bishops-trump-praying
Photos and video of 12 clergy members praying over the president were released on Thursday, less than two weeks before the midterm elections. The images show the clergy members praying around Trump, who has his head bowed as he is seated at the Oval Office desk.
Now, one bishop in the meeting said he felt they were manipulated and apologized for “inadvertently” participating in a political event so close to an election. Another said the meeting was “exploited” for “partisan political purposes” and expressed regret for attending.
The image released by the White House starkly contrasted with how careful Pope Leo XIV has been to avoid taking sides in politics — the first American pope has insisted that bishops avoid any political partisanship. However, he has addressed policy issues more broadly, speaking out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the war in Iran, in addition to calling for tighter regulation of artificial intelligence.
The pope’s decision not to visit the United States in 2026 was also in large part due to the midterms, as papal visits traditionally do not take place during election cycles.
One of the attendees, Archbishop of Milwaukee Jeffrey Grob, said afterward that the meeting had been manipulated, that he was unaware their meeting was being recorded and that the bishops did not give permissions for the public distribution of the footage and images.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/26/politics/catholic-bishops-trump-praying
