Birmingham’s Catholic bishop defended his participation in a White House gathering where 12 Catholic bishops prayed with President Donald Trump, saying the visit offered an opportunity to engage with government officials on issues affecting their communities.
But John Meehan, a local Catholic advocate, said the timing of the Oct. 22 meeting, less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, created the appearance that church leaders were endorsing the president and his policies.
Bishop Steven Raica of the Diocese of Birmingham was among the bishops who met with Trump in the Oval Office. Images and video of the gathering were released by White House communications staff, showing Denver Archbishop James Golka leading a prayer with the president as other bishops stood nearby.
The gathering has drawn national scrutiny, with two participants expressing regret over how the meeting was presented publicly.
Donald Carson, Diocese of Birmingham spokesperson, said Raica was invited by the White House Faith Office to participate in a listening session with senior policy leaders.
“It was an opportunity for encounter and dialogue,” Carson said. “Why wouldn’t you accept that invitation to be able to provide input into your political leaders who are actually setting policy that affects the people of your diocese?”
Carson said the listening session lasted about an hour and a half and did not include the president. That meeting was followed by what Carson described as a roughly 10-minute meet-and-greet in the Oval Office, where the photographs were taken.
Carson said the listening session was not the first of its kind, although the participants were different.
He said the discussions were productive and that the focus should remain on the opportunity to engage with government officials rather than the photos and videos released afterward.
“They are going to pray for our government leaders. They are going to pray for our nation,” Carson said. “And that also is a very good thing.”
Carson said Raica’s participation was not a political endorsement of Trump or his administration.
“That is encounter and it's dialogue and it's engagement with those people who are doing things that affect the people of our diocese,” Carson said.
Local advocate questions timing
Meehan, director of the Office of Advocacy and Justice with the Passionist Community, said he believes the bishops should have considered how their appearance alongside Trump would be interpreted so close to the election.
“The timing is not good,” Meehan said. “Right when you got an election coming up, and you know, right now things are up in the air.”
He said the images could leave the impression that the Catholic Church supports Trump politically, even if that was not the bishops’ intention. He suggested the meeting should have taken place well before the midterms.
Meehan said the church has a role in discussing public policy and advocating for issues affecting its members. But he distinguished that work from appearances that could be perceived as support for a particular political leader.
“I just think that Bishop Raica should have stayed out of that fray because it’s not good for him, for the bishops to get involved,” Meehan said.
The Passionist Community serves several parishes in the Birmingham area, including predominantly Black and Hispanic congregations. Meehan said the church’s social-justice work has long addressed issues affecting families and underserved communities.
He pointed to gun violence, immigration, health care, environmental concerns and the rising cost of living as issues that deserve attention alongside abortion,.
“Life is everything,” Meehan said. “It’s protecting children as well in our communities from gun violence. Gun violence — that’s a life issue.”
Meehan said he believes the church’s commitment to protecting life should extend throughout a person’s life, including efforts to improve conditions in their communities.
Other bishops express regret
Raica’s participation comes as other bishops who attended the gathering have publicly addressed concerns about the meeting’s political implications.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued a public apology after the video was released, saying he had not known it would be shared publicly and that the meeting was not intended to endorse the president or his policies.
Des Moines Bishop William Joensen also expressed regret, saying he wished he had been more cautious and that the gathering had been used for partisan political purposes.
Joensen said he remained committed to meeting with and praying for political leaders, but wanted to exercise greater prudence in the future.
The bishops’ explanations for the meeting have varied. Some have emphasized their intention to discuss Catholic priorities with administration officials, including religious liberty, immigration, school choice and the protection of human life. Others have raised concerns about how the images were used.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it did not organize the gathering and was not affiliated with the meeting, according to reporting by the National Catholic Reporter.
A White House spokeswoman defended Trump’s record on issues important to Catholic Americans, including religious liberty and policies supported by anti-abortion activists.
The meeting also comes amid broader disagreements between Catholic leaders and the Trump administration, particularly over immigration enforcement and the treatment of migrants.
Meehan said he contacted the Birmingham Diocese to express his dissatisfaction with Raica’s participation.
He said he hopes the controversy will prompt church leaders to consider how their public appearances may be perceived, regardless of which party holds the presidency.
“I don’t care if it’s a Democrat or Republican president,” Meehan said. “Stay out of situations like that.”
