White House names 12 bishops who prayed with Trump, defends president's record

"This was not something that the USCCB organized. It is not affiliated with the conference. I have no further information," spokesperson Chieko Noguchi told NCR on Oct. 22.

According to a list provided to NCR by a White House official, the Catholic prelates who attended were:

• Archbishop James Golka of Denver;
• Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee;
• Retired Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas;
• Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas;
• Bishop James Wall of Gallup, New Mexico;
• Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham, Alabama;
• Bishop Thomas Hennen of Baker, Oregon;
• Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland, California;
• Bishop Scott Bullock of Rapid City, South Dakota;
• Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa;
• Bishop Francis Kalabat of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Detroit;
• Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.

As of Oct. 23, the 12 bishops involved with the meeting did not respond to NCR's request for comments.

The White House official also identified Mario Enzler, described as "a Catholic liaison to the bishops" in Washington, D.C., among those present.

Enzler, a former member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard who served under Pope John Paul II, has worked in Catholic education, finance and church administration. He previously taught at the Catholic University of America and served as dean of the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

He is currently listed as a senior adviser to the president at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank. The Heritage Foundation did not return NCR's request for comments regarding its role and involvement with the event.

His presence raises additional questions about the channels of communication between the administration and Catholic church leaders. The White House did not specify in the information provided whether Enzler helped organize the meeting or the precise responsibilities associated with his described liaison role.

Enzler did not respond to NCR's request for comments and further information about the prayer event.

Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law and theology at Boston College, told NCR that the bishops' appearance alongside Trump so close to the midterm elections was "a highly imprudent act."

"This looks like it's a calculated political act and endorsement, given the timing of the election and the sponsoring organization," Kaveny said. "And I think that's very imprudent."

Kaveny distinguished the Oval Office gathering from other instances in which Catholic leaders pray for government officials, pointing to Cardinal Robert McElroy's celebration of the Red Mass, traditionally offered for judges and legal professionals. Such occasions, she said, involve praying for the well-being of the broader community and the common good, regardless of whether church leaders agree with the officials' decisions.

"This is not the same thing," Kaveny said, adding that the timing and circumstances of the White House gathering gave it the appearance of "a calculated political act and endorsement."

In a Substack post titled "What Were They Thinking?", Msgr. Arthur Holquin, a commentator on ethics and church debates, wrote: "The question was never whether bishops may pray for a president. The question is whether bishops may allow themselves to be staged, on camera, in the Oval Office, during an election the president is actively campaigning in."

In a video shared by White House communications adviser Margo Martin and by the president's campaign account, Golka leads the prayer while standing beside the seated president, asking God's blessing upon him and invoking the Holy Spirit to protect the nation.

The Denver Archdiocese said in an Oct. 22 statement that it welcomed continued discussion of the sanctity of life and human dignity, while emphasizing that praying for those in public office is a longstanding Catholic practice.

The meeting, however, took place against a backdrop of tensions between the Trump administration and Catholic Church leaders, particularly over immigration enforcement, the treatment of migrants and Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV.

The bishops' conference has also sought to emphasize its nonpartisan position ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.

In an Oct. 14 statement, conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City urged Catholics to "put their faith before politics," stressing that the church's contribution to public life is not a partisan program.

"A well-formed conscience does not operate on those terms," Coakley said, warning against the idea that criticism of one's preferred political party necessarily benefits its opponents.

He encouraged Catholics to judge candidates and elected officials by their actions and their commitment to the common good.

The video of the bishops at the Oval Office circulated just 12 days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when Catholic voters face competing concerns over immigration, economic pressures and social welfare.

An October Pew Research Center survey found that 42% of Catholic registered voters favored Democratic House candidates and 39% favored Republicans, with 19% undecided or supporting another candidate.