Catholic bishops accuse Trump White House of turning prayer into campaign photo op

Key Points:

• Two Catholic bishops, Archbishop Jeffrey Grob and Bishop William Joensen, expressed regret for bowing their heads in prayer with Donald Trump in the Oval Office, accusing the White House of exploiting the moment for political gain ahead of the US midterm elections.
• The White House posted photos and videos of the prayer on social media, framing it as Catholic leaders praying with the president, which sparked criticism and concern among the public and within the Church.
• The bishops stated they were unaware that the prayer would be used as a campaign photo opportunity and emphasized that they did not intend to endorse any candidate or party.
• The meeting was arranged by the conservative Heritage Foundation and was initially presented as a private discussion on immigration and religious issues, with prayer intended to be private and not publicly recorded or shared.
• Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged Catholics to prioritize faith over politics, highlighting ongoing tensions between religious leaders and the Trump administration's blending of faith and government.