Denver Archbishop James R. Golka led a prayer for President Donald Trump after meeting with him and other Catholic bishops Thursday, Oct. 22, while his archdiocese said the gathering was not a political endorsement.
The Archdiocese of Denver said Golka prayed for Trump and the country in the Oval Office. His prayer thanked God for “our beautiful nation” and asked the Holy Spirit to protect the country from “any influence of evil.”
Denver Catholic identified Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser, as the person who posted video of the prayer. The archdiocese explained the prayer by pointing to Catholic teaching on prayer for public officials and St. Paul’s instruction to pray for those who govern. It said the gathering should not be understood as support for a particular candidate or party.
Chieko Noguchi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), told EWTN News: “This was not something that the USCCB organized. It is not affiliated with the Conference.”
White House Faith Director Jenny Korn told EWTN News that the White House Faith Office arranged the meeting as part of its continuing outreach to religious leaders. EWTN reported that discussions covered religious freedom, school choice, religious visas, life policy and the office’s role.
EWTN named seven other participants: Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, Bishop Edward Burns, Bishop James Wall, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Naumann, Bishop William Joensen, Archbishop Jeffrey Grob and Bishop Michael Barber, SJ. AFP, citing an unnamed White House source, reported that 13 prelates attended. The Archdiocese of Denver did not give a total, and AFP’s figure is higher than the eight participants EWTN named, including Golka.
The accounts also differed on agenda details. Denver Catholic included family tax credits, a topic absent from EWTN’s list; neither outlet cited a full transcript or complete official readout of the discussions.
