Catholic Leaders Slam Trump White House For Turning Private Prayer Into Political Photo Op

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 22, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Special Assistant to the President and Communications Advisor Margo Martin posted a video of Catholic leaders praying with the POTUS in the Oval Office.

Martin, who has been with Trump since his first term, captioned the video:

"Catholic Archbishops and Bishops pray with President Trump in the Oval Office"

Award-winning Colorado 9NEWS Denver journalist Kyle Clark reshared the video with more information in the caption, noting:

"Denver Archbishop James Golka leads a prayer for President Trump, alongside Trump's faith advisor Paula White, who called the Black Lives Matter movement the anti-Christ and suggested Christians will have to answer to God if they don't vote for Trump"

You can see the video here:

Right-wing media outlets like Fox News shared the video clip, spinning the moment as proof of United States Catholic leaderships' support of Trump and his MAGA movement. But when the men filmed praying found out the moment was being used to bolster Trump's sagging popularity, they cried foul.

Des Moines, Iowa, Bishop William Joensen issued a statement denouncing the post by Martin, writing:

"There are many things tied to this present Administration that are blatantly at odds with our Catholic faith... in no way did any of us intend by our involvement to endorse any political party or any individual candidate."

"That said, in retrospect, I would have done well to be more mindful of Jesus' admonition: 'Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves' (Matthew 10:16)."

"I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes."

Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer, shared:

"I understand that many people saw the video, posted by the Administration twelve days before an election, as an endorsement. That was never my intention. I’m heartbroken that people are hurt, and that there are people intentionally using this moment to sow disunity."

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob went further, issuing a public apology.

Archbishop Grob wrote:

"Over the past several days, I have received many questions and comments about the October 22 meeting I and 11 other bishops attended at the White House, which was soon thereafter publicized by the administration without the consent of the participants."

"To begin, the meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party... We were told the meeting was to be a private discussion, that several Catholic members of the cabinet might make an appearance, and that there could be an opportunity to pray privately with the president."

"So, following a 90-minute discussion with White House domestic policy staff and advisors, we were eventually ushered into the Oval Office. The president greeted us, took a seat at his desk and presented us with commemorative tokens. We were then directed to stand behind him and pray."

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Archbishop Grob added:

"It did not take long thereafter for the White House to post a video and photos of the prayer."

"I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way. We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few."

"We should never have been put in that position by the White House."

After the Archbishop noted he'd had misgivings about accepting the Trump administration's invitation that he wished he'd heeded, he signed his apology with "sincere regret."

Some people appreciated both the apology and the clarification of intent...

... but many were still critical of the decision to go despite knowing who Trump is.

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While people agreed that bringing their concerns forward and praying for empathy and compassion to guide a POTUS might be admirable, not expecting the White House to create the situation solely to benefit Trump was naive or willfully ignorant on the part of the clergy.