Catholic Bishops Pray Over Trump in Oval Office

Denver Archbishop James R. Golka and more than half a dozen other U.S. Catholic bishops met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Oct. 22, then gathered around him in the Oval Office as Golka prayed for the president and the country. He asked God to bless the nation and its government, and invoked the Holy Spirit to protect the country from evil. The White House said the meeting also addressed religious freedom, school choice, religious visas, life policy and the role of its Faith Office. Golka said he hoped the encounter would encourage further dialogue on the sanctity of life and human dignity; his archdiocese stressed that praying for public officials is not an endorsement of a candidate or party. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it did not organize or affiliate with the meeting.