President Trump met privately with USCCB president Archbishop Coakley Jan. 12 to discuss mutual concerns and future Church-White House dialogue.
Newsroom (13/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) President Donald Trump held a private meeting Jan. 12 with Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, the newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). A spokesperson for the USCCB confirmed the meeting, which was listed on the White House schedule but closed to the press. Officials did not disclose the discussion’s focus.
According to a statement provided to OSV News, Archbishop Coakley met not only with the president but also with Vice President J.D. Vance and other senior administration officials. “Archbishop Coakley had the opportunity for introductory meetings with President Trump, Vice President Vance, and other administration officials, in which they discussed areas of mutual concern, as well as areas for further dialogue,” the USCCB spokesperson said. “Archbishop Coakley is grateful for the engagement and looks forward to ongoing discussions.”
While the specific topics remain undisclosed, the meeting comes amid a complex and sometimes tense relationship between the U.S. bishops and the Trump administration. The bishops have alternately praised and criticized Trump-era policies—voicing concern over immigration enforcement and the use of the federal death penalty, while applauding the administration’s positions on certain matters of religious liberty and gender policy.
Archbishop Coakley assumed leadership of the USCCB in November at the bishops’ fall plenary assembly. At that gathering, U.S. bishops approved their first special pastoral message since 2013, addressing the plight of immigrants. The statement, adopted Nov. 12, expressed opposition to “indiscriminate mass deportation” and called for “an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.” Though it did not directly name Trump, the message reflected growing concern among Church leaders about the moral and pastoral implications of national immigration policy.
The timing of Coakley’s White House visit also coincided with renewed public debate over abortion funding. The week before the meeting, Trump urged House Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment—a longstanding congressional restriction barring federal funds for elective abortions. The U.S. bishops strongly reaffirmed their support for the policy, describing it as a vital protection of conscience and life.
Meetings between the head of the U.S. bishops’ conference and the president are not routine but have historical precedent. The previous USCCB president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, noted in November that he was never able to meet with a sitting president during his tenure, despite reaching out to both Trump and President Joe Biden. However, earlier conference presidents—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan—had multiple private sessions with President Barack Obama during his time in office.
For now, neither the White House nor the USCCB has indicated plans for follow-up meetings. Still, Coakley’s outreach marks a potentially significant gesture in shaping how the Church engages with the Trump administration on issues where faith and public policy intersect—from human dignity and immigration to life ethics and religious freedom.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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