For one Catholic archbishop, praying alongside President Trump in the Oval Office is something that apparently requires a public apology.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob was one of 12 Catholic bishops who visited the White House last Thursday to discuss with the administration a number of matters important to the Church, including immigration enforcement, religious-worker visas, and human dignity. 

The meeting eventually took the group into the Oval Office, where they did something Catholic clergy have been known to do from time to time over the years: they prayed. With the president. And there was photo evidence. 

To some, it seems, this was a grave sin on the part of the bishops. And now Grob is in full apology mode, writing on the archdiocese website that he and his fellow bishops had not consented to the White House publicly distributing the prayerful images and accusing the administration of turning that sacred moment into a political one.

Sigh.

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Here's more from Grob:

I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way. We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few. 

The White House sees things a little bit differently and is pushing back hard on the apology tour, with spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defending Trump in a statement to Fox News. 

"There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump," Rogers said, citing the president's efforts to stop the federal government's "weaponization" of its agencies against Christians, pardon pro-life activists, and defend religious freedom.

Denver Archbishop James Golka, who joined Grob in praying over President Trump, has an entirely different approach, saying, "We pray for people. No matter whether we agree or disagree on anything, we always pray for our country and leaders."