Washington DC - The US Conference of Catholic Bishops on Thursday told AFP it was not linked to a group seen in a video praying with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
"This was not something that the USCCB organized. It is not affiliated with the Conference. I have no further information," said a spokesperson for the organization, Chieko Noguchi, to AFP.
On Thursday, an aide to the US president, Margo Martin, shared a video showing the president seated at his desk, flanked by clergy wearing collars.
One had his hand on the president's shoulder and prayed aloud.
"Catholic Archbishops and Bishops pray with President Trump in the Oval Office," captioned Martin in her post on X, including a heart emoji.
The White House later confirmed to AFP that the president had met with a dozen Catholic faith leaders, including the archbishops of Denver, Milwaukee and Kansas City.
The Trump administration's relationship with the Catholic Church has been fraught, particularly regarding its aggressive deportations of migrants.
Trump, who enjoyed support from the Christian right during his most recent presidential campaign, has held several prayer gatherings similar to Thursday's event, including with evangelical pastors.