Iowa bishop says White House visit was 'exploited' for politics

Key Points:

• Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines stated that the Oct. 22 White House visit by 12 bishops was not intended to endorse any political party, despite occurring during early voting for the midterm elections.
• Joensen expressed regret for attending the meeting, noting that many actions by the Trump administration conflict with Catholic teachings, and criticized those who exploited the visit for partisan purposes.
• Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob revealed that the Heritage Foundation arranged the visit, which was expected to be a private discussion and prayer with President Trump, but a video of the prayer was posted on social media without the bishops' consent.
• Grob condemned the White House for putting the bishops in a politically compromising position, emphasizing their intent was to pray and work for the common good, not to participate in a political photo opportunity.
• The White House spokesperson praised Trump as a strong supporter of Catholic Americans but did not address the bishops' concerns about the politicization of the visit.