Breaking News · October 27, 2026, 3:05 AM CDT
As reported by CNN:
Two Catholic bishops have expressed regret over attending a meeting with 10 other prelates and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, saying they were “exploited.”
Photos and video of 12 clergy members praying over the president were released on Thursday, less than two weeks before the midterm elections.
The images show the clergy members praying around Trump, who has his head bowed as he is seated at the Oval Office desk.
Now, one bishop in the meeting said he felt they were manipulated and apologized for “inadvertently” participating in a political event so close to an election. Another said the meeting was “exploited” for “partisan political purposes” and expressed regret for attending.
The image released by the White House starkly contrasted with how careful Pope Leo XIV has been to avoid taking sides in politics — the first American pope has insisted that bishops avoid any political partisanship.[1]
Video: BBC News, October 26, 2026 — “Catholic bishops apologise for 'exploited' Trump meeting. #BBCNews”. Matched to this story by shared names and terms in its title; watch the original for full context.
On the record
“To begin, the meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” Grob said in a statement.[1]
But in a “public apology” issued Sunday, Grob expressed deep regret over the meeting that he suggested was used as a "political photo opportunity” after White House officials shared images and footage of a moment of prayer.[2]
The numbers in the reporting
How 5 outlets are reporting it
- Catholic bishops apologize after video shows them praying over Trump in Oval Office (CNN)
- Why Catholic Bishops Are Apologizing Over a Photo With Trump (Time Magazine)
- Catholic leaders distance themselves from Trump after Oval Office prayer video (Politico)
- Catholic Leaders Say Trump Meeting Wasn’t Intended to Be Political After White House Shares Video (The New York Times)
- Catholic bishops accuse Trump White House of turning prayer into campaign photo op (The Guardian)
What Time Magazine reports
A video of Catholic bishops praying around President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House last week has sparked debate, with some bishops claiming their attendance was “exploited” for political purposes less than two weeks before the midterm elections.
The 12 clergymen joined Trump on Thursday in the Oval Office, for what Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee has said was intended to be a private meeting to discuss matters such as immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity.
But in a “public apology” issued Sunday, Grob expressed deep regret over the meeting that he suggested was used as a "political photo opportunity” after White House officials shared images and footage of a moment of prayer.[2]
What is not yet confirmed
- He points to the USCCB’s argument that the Administration has denied visas for priests and bishops, and the announced cuts to the resettlement of refugees for Catholic charities.[2]
What the official record says
the House site (mikejohnson) says, in its own words:
I am grateful for his leadership and example.” — Kelsey Reinhardt, President & CEO, CatholicVote “The Working Families Tax Cuts required near-literal unanimity from House Republicans numerous times in a row — committee work, budget resolutions, and budget reconciliation votes, as well as the associated procedural votes.[3]
How to Verify This Yourself
Each headline above links to that outlet’s own report. The quoted passages come from the first two of those reports that could be retrieved in full.
References
- CNN. Catholic bishops apologize after video shows them praying over Trump in Oval Office. ↩
- Time Magazine. Why Catholic Bishops Are Apologizing Over a Photo With Trump. ↩
- the House site (mikejohnson). Speaker Johnson Holds the Gavel for Three Years | U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson Primary (official source) ↩
Investigative methodology: this story was selected because 5 separate news organizations were reporting it at the same time. The quoted text is verbatim from the cited reports; nothing is paraphrased or added. Produced by scripts/breaking_news_monitor.py, not a language model.
Kemetic Minds Editorial Desk
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