Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee on Sunday issued what he called a “public apology” over his part in the Oct. 22 meeting of bishops at the White House.
Grob said that over the last few days, he had “received many questions and comments about the October 22 meeting I and 11 other bishops attended at the White House, which was soon thereafter publicized by the administration without the consent of the participants.”
He went on to say that his “intention was never to cause confusion, anger, or disappointment among the people entrusted to my care” and that he issued the Oct. 25 statement to provide context for the meeting.
The meeting “was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” Grob said.
Last month, Grob explained, he was invited along with other bishops to a meeting to discuss “matters of importance to the Church and our people, including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity.” The meeting was the second of two such gatherings organized by the Heritage Foundation, he said.
“We were told the meeting was to be a private discussion, that several Catholic members of the cabinet might make an appearance, and that there could be an opportunity to pray privately with the president,” he continued.
After about an hour and a half of meeting on Oct. 22 with White House staff and policy advisers, the archbishop said, the group entered the Oval Office, where they were greeted by President Donald Trump. After being presented with commemorative tokens, Grob said, the group was directed to stand behind the president to pray, and photos were taken afterward.
“Unbeknownst to the group of bishops a video was also taken. But permission for the public distribution or posting of either the video or photos was not given by the bishops,” Grob said in his statement. Not long after, photos and the video of the prayer were posted online.
“I soon began receiving messages of serious concern over the possibility that I had inadvertently participated in a political event less than two weeks before a national election,” Grob said. “I also heard from some who felt wounded because of the ways they or their family had been harmed by the president’s policies.”
“I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way,” he continued. “We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few. We should never have been put in that position by the White House.”
Grob concluded his statement by saying that he did not go to the meeting “without reservations” and that he wished he “had heeded them.”
“I apologize for any damage my actions have done,” he said.
Grob’s statement comes after another participant at the Oct. 22 meeting, Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer in the Oval Office, defended his participation in the event.
Golka said he “knew people might be upset” at the event and that it could be “use[d] for political purposes.”
“But as I prayed about it, I thought that this is what Catholics do. We pray for people. No matter whether we agree or disagree on anything, we always pray for our country and leaders,” he said in remarks to the Denver Catholic on Oct. 23.
Golka, like Grob, also denied that the meeting was in any way an endorsement of the president or his policies.
“The bishops of the United States teach that the Church cannot champion any candidate or party,” Golka said. “I hold to that. However you vote, you ultimately belong to Jesus who loves you infinitely more than you can imagine.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.