Catholic bishops pray over Trump
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The gist
A group of Catholic bishops met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and prayed over him.
The timing, 12 days before the midterms, drew criticism over political optics.
Background
The meeting was organized by the White House Faith Office, whose director Jenny Korn said it was part of ongoing engagement with faith leaders of all denominations. Archbishop James Golka of Denver, tapped by Pope Leo XIV in February to lead the archdiocese, led the prayer, laying a hand on Trump's shoulder at the Resolute Desk. The Archdiocese of Denver said praying for public officials is a longstanding Catholic practice and "is not an endorsement of any specific candidate or party." The visit came as U.S. bishops have clashed with the administration on immigration policy and after the USCCB president condemned a now-scuttled plan to livestream an execution.
How it unfolded
- Oct 13, 2026Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, in his newsletter The Branches, questioned the plan to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, asking "Are we only becoming as barbaric as that which we are trying to prevent?"
- Oct 20, 2026PRRI's American Values Survey was released; 61% of white Catholics said their opinion of Trump had changed mostly for the worse over the previous two years.
- Oct 22, 2026Twelve Catholic bishops met Trump in the Oval Office, discussing religious freedom, school choice, family tax credits, religious visas and life, and prayed over him, with Archbishop Golka leading the intercession.
- Oct 22, 2026The Denver Archdiocese confirmed the meeting; Trump's campaign X account and White House adviser Margo Martin posted video of the prayer, and clips circulated on X that afternoon.
- Oct 22, 2026The Milwaukee archdiocese confirmed Grob was among the bishops; the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the bishops were there, and the USCCB said it had no role in the event.
- Oct 23, 2026Criticism of the meeting's political optics was reported, with papal biographer Austen Ivereigh saying the video will be used to drum up support for Trump-aligned candidates in the Nov. 3 elections.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The Archdiocese of Denver said praying for public officials is longstanding Catholic practice and not an endorsement of any candidate or party, and Golka hopes the encounter fosters dialogue on the sanctity of life and human dignity.
- Caution
- Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh called the event "sickening" and said the video will be used to drum up support for Trump-aligned candidates in the Nov. 3 elections.
- Caution
- Stephen Schneck of Catholics for the Future questioned whether the appearance followed the bishops' own guidance on nonpartisanship.
Still unverified
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about why the bishops were there and what they said or did; the number present was described as "what appeared to be about 10 Catholic leaders" in the video, while other reports say 12 bishops took part.