Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued a public apology (see full text below) on October 25, 2026, after a photo and video of him and other U.S. Catholic bishops praying over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office were shared across social media. [1, 2]
Overview of the Event
- Date of Meeting: October 22, 2026 [1]
- Location: The Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C. [1]
- Participants: Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, Denver Archbishop James Golka, and 10 other U.S. Catholic bishops (12 bishops total see below) meeting with President Donald Trump. [1, 2]
2. Archbishop Jeffrey Grob; Archdiocese of Milwaukee; in Wisconsin
3. Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan; Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles; in California
4. Bishop Edward Burns; Diocese of Dallas; in Texas
5. Bishop Thomas Joseph Hennen; Diocese of Baker; in Oregon
6. Bishop James Wall, Diocese of Gallup; in New Mexico
7. Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Naumann; Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
8. Bishop Michael Barber Diocese of Oakland; in California
9. Bishop William Joensen; Diocese of Des Moines; in Iowa
10. Bishop Scott Bullock; Diocese of Rapid City; South Dakota
11. Bishop Francis Kalabat; Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas; in Michigan
12. Bishop Steven Raica; Diocese of Birmingham; in Alabama
FULL TEXT - A Public Apology - Archbishop Jeffrey Grob
Oct 25, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write this message to you from the Dominican Republic while visiting with fellow pilgrims our sharing parish, La Sagrada Familia.
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. Please know that my intention was never to cause confusion, anger, or disappointment among the people entrusted to my care. My hope here is to provide some measure of context for my decision to participate.
To begin, the meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party. In mid-September, I was invited to join a group of a dozen bishops to discuss matters of importance to the Church and our people, including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity. The meeting was the second of two such gatherings arranged by the Heritage Foundation. The first, to which I was not invited, was held last June. 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.
I took some time to weigh the decision and ultimately felt that, if I had the opportunity to offer my voice in a way that might improve the lives of God’s children, I ought to take it. I pray for our elected officials on a daily basis, so it seemed appropriate to do so in person.
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. After which several photos were taken and we were ushered out. Unbeknownst to the group of bishops a video was also taken. But permission for the public distribution or posting of either the video or photos was not given by the bishops.
It did not take long thereafter for the White House to post a video and photos of the prayer. I soon began receiving messages of serious concern over the possibility that I had inadvertently participated in a political event less than two weeks before a national election. I also heard from some who felt wounded because of the ways they or their family had been harmed by the president’s policies.
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. I did not go without reservations. I wish I had heeded them. Please know that I have heard these concerns, understand how I caused them, and I apologize for any damage my actions have done.
We are, as ever, a pilgrim people. And that includes bishops.
With sincere regret,
Most Reverend Jeffrey S. Grob
Archbishop of Milwaukee
- Organizers: The White House Faith Office. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) stated they did not organize or affiliate with the gathering. [1, 2]
Key Details of the Apology
- Reason for Attending: Grob stated he was invited to discuss matters of importance to the Church, including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity, and was told the discussion would be private.
- The Contention: The Trump administration quickly published photos and a video of the bishops praying over President Trump without the participants' consent.
- Reaction to Political Framing: Grob expressed regret that a sacred act of prayer was "manipulated... to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few" shortly before the upcoming national election on November 3.
- Expressed Regret: Grob acknowledged receiving distraught and concerned messages from the faithful—including individuals who felt harmed by presidential policies—stating, "I should never have been put in that position by the White House... and I apologize for any damage my actions have done."
FULL TEXT - A Public Apology - Archbishop Jeffrey Grob
Oct 25, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write this message to you from the Dominican Republic while visiting with fellow pilgrims our sharing parish, La Sagrada Familia.
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. Please know that my intention was never to cause confusion, anger, or disappointment among the people entrusted to my care. My hope here is to provide some measure of context for my decision to participate.
To begin, the meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party. In mid-September, I was invited to join a group of a dozen bishops to discuss matters of importance to the Church and our people, including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity. The meeting was the second of two such gatherings arranged by the Heritage Foundation. The first, to which I was not invited, was held last June. 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.
I took some time to weigh the decision and ultimately felt that, if I had the opportunity to offer my voice in a way that might improve the lives of God’s children, I ought to take it. I pray for our elected officials on a daily basis, so it seemed appropriate to do so in person.
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. After which several photos were taken and we were ushered out. Unbeknownst to the group of bishops a video was also taken. But permission for the public distribution or posting of either the video or photos was not given by the bishops.
It did not take long thereafter for the White House to post a video and photos of the prayer. I soon began receiving messages of serious concern over the possibility that I had inadvertently participated in a political event less than two weeks before a national election. I also heard from some who felt wounded because of the ways they or their family had been harmed by the president’s policies.
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. I did not go without reservations. I wish I had heeded them. Please know that I have heard these concerns, understand how I caused them, and I apologize for any damage my actions have done.
We are, as ever, a pilgrim people. And that includes bishops.
With sincere regret,
Most Reverend Jeffrey S. Grob
Archbishop of Milwaukee
Sources: Image of the Archbishop from and text: https://www.archmil.org/posts/a-public-apology-archbishop-jeffrey-grob
Image of Prayer from Paula White on Facebook
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