US bishops apologize for taking part in prayer with President Trump — Interia
US Catholic bishops apologized to the faithful after taking part in a prayer with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. They said that the White House released a video of the prayer and used it for political purposes without their consent.
Bishops called the meeting private
Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, one of 11 bishops who took part in the meeting, publicly apologized for his presence. He stressed that the prayer was not an expression of support for the president, and that both the meeting and the prayer were meant to be private.
According to Interia, the participants planned to discuss issues important to the Catholic Church. In particular, they concerned the enforcement of immigration law, visas for religious workers, and human dignity.
Reactions from participants and the White House
Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer, said that he had considered the possibility that the meeting at the White House could be used politically. At the same time, he decided to take part in it in order to raise issues important to the church.
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Des Moines Bishop William Joensen also criticized the use of the meeting for partisan and political purposes. The White House published a short video showing bishops praying for the country and blessings for the president. The video was later used by Trump’s campaign committee.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said there had been no better president for American Catholics than Trump. She cited the Supreme Court decision limiting abortion rights, and also mentioned pardons for anti-abortion activists and the protection of religious freedoms.
Since the start of Trump’s second presidential term, representatives of the Catholic Church in the United States and the Vatican have repeatedly criticized his administration, in particular over its approach to immigrants and the actions of immigration services near churches.
