作者：克里斯托弗·兰姆
发布时间：2026年10月26日，美国东部时间下午3:02
图片来源：塞缪尔·科拉姆/盖蒂图片社
两名天主教主教对与另外10位高阶神职人员及唐纳德·特朗普总统在椭圆形办公室会面一事表示遗憾，称自己遭到“利用”和“操控”。
周四，正值中期选举不到两周之际，12名神职人员为总统祈祷的照片和视频对外发布。画面显示，这些神职人员围在低头祈祷的特朗普身边，特朗普正坐在椭圆形办公室的办公桌前。
如今，其中一位与会主教表示，他认为他们遭到操控，并为“在选举临近时不慎参与政治活动”致歉。另一位主教则称，此次会面被“用于党派政治目的”并遭到“利用”，他对出席此次会面感到遗憾。
白宫发布的这张照片与教皇利奥十四世一贯谨慎避免在政治上选边站的态度形成鲜明对比——这位美国籍教皇一直主张主教们应避免任何党派政治立场。不过，他更广泛地就政策问题发声，曾公开反对特朗普政府的移民打压政策和伊朗战争，此外还呼吁加强对人工智能的监管。
2026年教皇决定不访问美国，在很大程度上也是因为中期选举，按照惯例，教皇出访不会在选举周期内进行。
（图片说明：天主教主教们与唐纳德·特朗普总统一同祈祷，画面为X平台发布视频的截图）
图片来源：玛戈·马丁/白宫
与会者之一、密尔沃基大主教杰弗里·格罗布事后表示，此次会面遭到操控，他并不知道会面被录制，且主教们并未允许公开传播这些视频和图片。
“首先，这次会面绝不是对总统、其政策或其所在政党的支持，”格罗布在一份声明中说。
但他解释说，这些照片发布后，他“很快就收到了严重关切的信息，担心自己在全国选举不到两周的时间里不慎参与了政治活动”。
这位大主教接着说：“我并非毫无顾虑地去的[会面]。我真希望当时听从了那些顾虑。请你们知道，我已听到这些关切，明白自己为何引发了这些问题，我为我的行为造成的任何损害致歉。”
另一位主教、得梅因的威廉·约恩森表示，他认为此次会面被“用于党派政治目的”并遭到“利用”，他希望自己能有不同的做法。“我真希望自己能更精明、不那么单纯，”他说，“我祈祷今后能更加审慎明智，即便我依然决心致力于与各级政治领导人互动并为他们祈祷。”
与会人员还包括特朗普的长期信仰顾问宝拉·怀特-凯恩。特朗普事后表示：“这是一次很棒的会面。嗯，他们祈祷了。大部分时间都在祈祷。这确实是一次非常愉快的会面。他们很棒。”
特朗普在以往竞选活动中得到了天主教徒的支持，不过近期民调显示，他重新上任后，这一支持率有所下降。
白宫发言人泰勒·罗杰斯没有回应有关神职人员是否同意使用其形象的问题，反而发布了一份声明称：“没有哪位总统比特朗普总统更能代表美国天主教徒。”她提到了“扩大宗教权利”、赦免反堕胎活动人士、反对为儿童提供性别认同护理以及保护父母权利。
尽管总统今年早些时候与教皇公开发生过冲突，但特朗普最近对教皇的批评减少——他经常提到教皇的兄长路易是“让美国再次伟大”运动的支持者。教皇近期被诊断出肺癌时，特朗普表示希望他“早日康复”。
“患癌总是大事，但预后情况似乎不错，”总统说，他接着称利奥的兄长为“我的朋友”。
在主教们与总统一同祈祷的视频发布后，一名教会消息人士对CNN开玩笑称，这是白宫在提前搞“不给糖就捣蛋”！
CNN的莫莉·英格利希对本文亦有贡献。
Catholic bishops regret Trump meeting, saying they were used for ‘political purposes’
By Christopher Lamb
PUBLISHED Oct 26, 2026, 3:02 PM ET
The White House is seen from the South Lawn on September 20, 2026.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Two Catholic bishops have expressed regret over attending a meeting with 10 other prelates and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, saying they were “exploited” and “manipulated.”
Photos and video of 12 clergy members praying over the president were released on Thursday, less than two weeks before the midterm elections. The images show the clergy members praying around Trump, who has his head bowed as he is seated at the Oval Office desk.
Now, one bishop in the meeting said he felt they were manipulated and apologized for “inadvertently” participating in a political event so close to an election. Another said the meeting was “exploited” for “partisan political purposes” and expressed regret for attending.
The image released by the White House starkly contrasted with how careful Pope Leo XIV has been to avoid taking sides in politics — the first American pope has insisted that bishops avoid any political partisanship. However, he has addressed policy issues more broadly, speaking out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the war in Iran, in addition to calling for tighter regulation of artificial intelligence.
The pope’s decision not to visit the United States in 2026 was also in large part due to the midterms, as papal visits traditionally do not take place during election cycles.
https://news-multimedia-1393112320.cos.ap-guangzhou.myqcloud.com/screenshot-2026-10-26-at-2-25-12-pm.jpg
Catholic Bishops pray with President Donald Trump in this screengrab taken from video posted to X.
from Margo Martin/White House
One of the attendees, Archbishop of Milwaukee Jeffrey Grob, said afterward that the meeting had been manipulated, that he was unaware their meeting was being recorded and that the bishops did not give permissions for the public distribution of the footage and images.
“To begin, the meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” Grob said in a statement.
But he explained that after images were released he “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.”
The archbishop went on: “I did not go [to the meeting] without reservations. I wish I had heeded them. Please know that I have heard these concerns, understand how I caused them, and I apologize for any damage my actions have done.”
Another bishop, William Joensen of Des Moines, said he felt the meeting had been “exploited” for “partisan political purposes” and that he wished he’d done things differently. “I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple,” he said. “I pray I am more prudent and wise going forward, even as I remain resolute in my openness to engaging and praying for political leaders at all levels.”
The meeting was attended by Trump’s longtime faith adviser, Paula White-Cain. Trump said after: “It was a great meeting. Well, they prayed. They mostly prayed. It was actually a very nice meeting. They’re great.”
Trump has attracted support from Catholics during his past campaigns, although recent polls show that has dropped since his return to office.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers did not respond to a question about whether the clergy members had cleared the use of their images, instead sending a statement that said: “There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump.” She cited “expanded religious rights,” his pardoning of anti-abortion activists, his work against providing gender-identity care for children and his protection of parents’ rights.
While the president had a public clash with the pope earlier this year, Trump has been less critical of him lately — frequently talking about how the pontiff’s eldest brother, Louis, is a MAGA supporter. When the pope was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, Trump said he wanted to see him “get well.”
“It’s big stuff anytime you have cancer, but the prognosis seems to be good,” the president said, going on to call Leo’s brother “a friend of mine.”
Following release of the footage of the bishops and the president praying, one church source joked to CNN that it was the White House doing “trick or treat early!”
CNN’s Molly English contributed to this report.
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