Twelve U.S. Catholic bishops say White House exploited private Trump meeting after posting video of prayer recorded without their knowledge

Twelve U.S. Catholic bishops accused the White House of exploiting a private Oct. 22 meeting after it posted video of them praying over Trump in the Oval Office. They said the video was recorded without their knowledge, less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued a public apology, saying the meeting was “in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party.” He said the prayer had been “manipulated” and that the bishops had come “not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few.” Grob added that “we should never have been put in that position by the White House.”

Des Moines Bishop William Joensen said he wished he “had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purpose.”