Archbishop Grob Apologizes for White House Prayer Meeting With Donald Trump
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee has issued a public apology for participating in an October 22 White House meeting of 12 Catholic bishops that concluded with a prayer for Donald Trump in the Oval Office. In a letter titled “Une excuse publique” released on October 25 on the archdiocesan website, Grob stated that the administration publicized the event without the participants’ consent, recorded a video without the bishops’ knowledge, and manipulated a prayer addressed to God.
“I ask forgiveness for any damage my actions may have caused,” Grob wrote from the Dominican Republic, where he was accompanying a group of parishioners from La Sagrada Familia.
Heritage Foundation Organized the White House Visit
The October 22 gathering was the second of two meetings organized by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank. Invitations to the event specified topics including immigration law enforcement, religious visas, and human dignity. Grob recounted that the bishops conversed for roughly 90 minutes with White House aides and advisers before being led into the Oval Office. There, the president greeted them, handed out commemorative gifts, they prayed standing behind him, and posed for photographs that were subsequently published online without authorization.
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee apologized Sunday for praying with President Trump in the Oval Office, saying the White House turned it into “a political photo opportunity.”“I apologize for any damage my actions have done,” he wrote. pic.twitter.com/cubvcOmWfp
Grob pushed back against political interpretations of his presence. “The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” he wrote, adding that his intent was never to sow confusion, anger, or disappointment among the faithful. He admitted he harbored reservations before attending and received messages from worried parishioners concerned about an apparent political appearance less than two weeks before the November 3 elections.
Archbishop Golka Defends Oval Office Prayers
Grob’s apology contrasted with the defense offered by Archbishop James Golka of Denver, who led the prayer before the presidential desk. In statements to Denver Catholic reported by EWTN News, Golka acknowledged he knew the act could provoke criticism or be used for political purposes, but maintained that praying for authorities is a standard Catholic practice.
“I was acting as a Catholic priest,” Golka told critics, denying that the gesture constituted an electoral endorsement and recalling that U.S. bishops teach that the Church cannot promote any candidate or party.
Other participants at the October 22 meeting included Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas, Bishop James Wall of Gallup, Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, and Maronite Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan of Los Angeles, according to EWTN News. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that it did not participate in preparing the gathering. Grob did not name the other bishops in his letter, and no other participant had joined his apology by the close of reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Bishops’ White House Visit
Why did the bishops travel to the White House on October 22?
The 12 Catholic bishops attended two meetings organized by the Heritage Foundation to discuss immigration law enforcement, visas for religious workers, and human dignity, according to Archbishop Grob’s account.
Who else participated in the Oval Office meeting besides Archbishop Grob?
EWTN News reported that participants included Archbishop James Golka, Bishop Edward Burns, Bishop James Wall, Bishop William Joensen, Bishop Michael Barber, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Naumann, and Maronite Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan.
Did the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops organize the meeting?
No, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops confirmed that it did not participate in preparing or organizing the White House gathering.
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