Jeffrey Grob said he and the other invited bishops “should never have been put in this position by the White House.”
WASHINGTON —
Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued an apology after visiting the White House and appearing in social media posts praying for President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
In a statement posted on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s website Oct. 25, Grob said he and the 11 other invited bishops “should never have been placed in this position by the White House” and that the administration released the content “without the consent of the participants.”
Grob said he had been invited “to discuss issues important to the Church and our people, including immigration controls, visas for religious workers and human dignity.” He said they were told the meeting would be a private discussion.
“I took the time to weigh the decision and ultimately felt that if I had the opportunity to offer my voice in a way that could improve the lives of God’s children, I should take it. I pray for our elected officials daily, so it seemed appropriate to do so in person,” Grob said.
He said that after the 90-minute meeting, White House staff led the group of bishops into the Oval Office and asked them to stand behind Trump and pray. He said that “unbeknownst to the group of bishops” several videos and photos had been taken and that “the bishops had not given permission to distribute or publish either the video or the photos.”
“I quickly began receiving messages of deep concern that I may have inadvertently participated in a political event less than two weeks before a national election,” Grob said. “I feel profound sadness, not only because of the pain I have caused, but also because something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in this way.”
Grob said the meeting was “in no way” an endorsement of the president, his policies or his party.
“I did not go into this without reservations. I wish I had considered them. Please know that I have heard these concerns, that I understand how I caused them and that I apologize for any harm caused by my actions,” Grob said.
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