More Prayers in the Oval Office

 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,  for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Saviour...

            ! Timothy 2: 1-3 NRSVue 

This photo makes me shudder with horror. It shows twelve American Roman Catholic bishops surrounding the Father of Lies in the Oval Office, praying for the President in a scene reminiscent of moments when evangelical leaders did the same. The lone exception is Paula White the prosperity gospel televangelist who leads the White House Faith Office. If  you've ever watched her wild performative schtick you'll realize that she should be in a padded room, not anywhere near the seat of power. 

This photo and the video have undermined the credibility of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, and this is sad. In recent months a number of leading Catholics have spoken out against the mass arrests of immigrants. They have gone to detention centres to celebrate mass with those who were incarcerated and accompanied parishioners to court hearings. More recently they have condemned the hideous plan to live-stream an execution.

This Oval Office mess does not have the support of the Vatican and since it unfolded some of the bishops have apologized, although not all. One said that some of his parishioners were hurt because of the effect of Trump’s policies on their families. “We should never have been put in that position by the White House,” wrote Grob, adding that he had harboured reservations and “wish I had heeded them”. Indeed. 

Another explained that they had been invited to spend 90 minutes with government officials and told that it would be a private discussion about immigration enforcement, religious-worker visas and human dignity, with a possible chance to pray privately with the president. They weren't told that a video was being recorded and they never agreed to its release on social media, which happened almost immediately. 

Can you imagine this sort of performative prayerfest happening in the office or our Prime Minister? So much for separation of church and state.

Yes prayer is important and praying for leaders is biblical. It happens regularly in our congregation during worship but never in a partisan way. This this was clearly manipulation by the White House as the midterm elections loom. What were these bishops thinking? They were incredibly naive, well aware that they are prohibited from the appearance of  endorsing a political party. I trust that the apologies by the bishops are sincere, but they've go a lot of 'splainin' to do.