Donald Trump accused of “manipulating” Catholic bishops for political purposes

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Donald Trump’s relationship with the Catholic Church has reached a new low, with the White House accused of “manipulating” a group of bishops to create the impression of political support ahead of the midterm elections.

The release last week of a video of a dozen Catholic clergy praying for the president in the Oval Office sent shockwaves through the American Catholic hierarchy, which has been highly critical of many of Trump’s policies.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, who was present at the meeting, expressed regret for being present and accused the White House of exploiting clerics for political purposes.

Grob said the meeting — hosted by the conservative Heritage Foundation — was billed as an opportunity for bishops to speak privately with senior White House officials about issues important to the Catholic Church, including immigration and visas for religious workers.

After discussions with White House policy advisers, Grob said the bishops were led into the Oval Office, greeted by Trump and “asked to stand behind him and pray.” But he said the bishops never agreed to the photos being made public, nor did they know they had also been recorded on video.

“The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president and his policies,” Grob said. “I feel great 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. »

The meeting comes as Catholics, Latinos in particular, are unhappy with Trump’s approach to immigration and the cost of living, and after Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV openly opposed the president over his war in Iran and his harsh crackdown on immigrants.

William Joensen, the bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines, also apologized Monday evening for creating the appearance of political support. Joensen said that while Catholic clerics are often called to engage with politicians whose positions do not align with Catholic teaching, he should have been more cautious about visiting the White House so close to the midterm elections.

“I wish I had been more astute…like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes,” Joensen wrote.

James Golka, the archbishop of Denver – who laid hands on Trump during prayer – told the Denver Catholic newspaper that he was “heartbroken” by how the meeting was perceived.

“I understand that many people saw the video the administration released 12 days before an election in support,” he said. “That was never my intention.”

The White House has defended Trump’s relationship with Catholics.

“There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it: he ended the militarization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, ended the chemical mutilation of our nation’s children, and protected the rights of parents,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement.

In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won 55% of the Catholic vote, compared to 43% for Kamala Harris, according to the Pew Research Center.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops distanced itself from the White House meeting, saying it was not involved in it. The group urged American voters to “reject any rhetoric that calls for fear, resentment or division” in the midterms.

The Vatican has not commented on the matter, but relations between Pope Leo and Trump have remained strained since the president called the pope “terrible” after the pontiff criticized Washington’s bombing of Iran.

Analysts called Trump’s photo op “desperate” ahead of an election in which he is expected to lose Catholic support.

“If you tell them that this is a private prayer and a private meeting and then you use it for your electoral purposes, that means you are pretty desperate,” Massimo Franco, author of the book. Popes, dollars and wars: the power of America in the Vatican, from the taboos of the past to Leo XIV, said of the conduct of the administration.

“That means you really have big problems: you know that the Catholic vote can no longer be taken for granted,” he added.