Catholic Bishops' Conference Distances Itself from Oval Office Prayer with Trump
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it did not organize or have any connection to a video showing Catholic leaders praying over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The White House confirmed that Trump met with about 12 Catholic leaders, including archbishops from Denver, Milwaukee, and Kansas City. The event comes amid friction between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church over immigration enforcement.
A spokesperson for the U.S. bishops’ national conference, Chico Noguchi, told AFP that the gathering was neither arranged by the conference nor tied to it, and declined further comment. The footage was shared on X by presidential assistant Margo Martin on Oct. 22, 2026, showing clergy around Trump at his desk, with one praying and placing a hand on his shoulder.
The White House said roughly twelve Catholic leaders attended, among them archbishops from Denver, Milwaukee, and Kansas City. Although the national conference denied organizational involvement, individual church leaders took part. The encounter came while immigration enforcement and deportation policy was a source of strain between the administration and Catholic leaders.
The episode could deepen confusion among Catholic congregants about whether national church leadership endorsed the Oval Office prayer, while individual bishops’ participation may sharpen internal debates over church-state boundaries and immigration policy. It may also affect how Catholic voters and advocacy groups interpret the hierarchy’s independence from political figures. Communities affected by immigration enforcement could view the imagery as signaling alignment or distance, depending on how church leaders clarify their roles.