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Milwaukee Archbishop Grob says White House prayer videos were shared without bishops’ consent
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob apologized after videos and photos showed him and other bishops praying with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Grob said the group expected a private policy discussion and that the meeting was not an endorsement of Trump or his agenda.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob apologized Oct. 25 after images and videos of him and 11 other bishops praying with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office were shared publicly by the White House, saying the bishops had not agreed to their distribution.
Grob said in a statement that he accepted an invitation to Washington for a discussion about issues affecting the Catholic Church and its members, including immigration enforcement, religious-worker visas and human dignity. He said the bishops were told the meeting would be private.
After a meeting that lasted about 90 minutes, White House staff brought the bishops into the Oval Office and directed them to stand behind Trump and pray, Grob said. He said the group did not know photos and videos were being taken and had not given permission for them to be posted.
Grob said he began receiving messages from people concerned that he had taken part in a political event less than two weeks before a national election. He described the use of the prayer footage as a painful manipulation of a sacred act.
“I did not go without reservations. I wish I had heeded them,” Grob said, apologizing for the distress his actions caused. He said the visit was not an endorsement of Trump, his policies or his party.