The Catholic bishops of the United States have paved the way for President Joe Biden to continue receiving Holy Communion despite his opposition to some tenets of Catholic social teaching.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted 222-8-3 Wednesday to adopt a document that did not address whether those who advocate for widespread access to abortions, such as Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both of whom are Catholic, could be denied the sacrament of Holy Communion.
“Since the conclusion of the Spring Plenary Assembly of the U.S. bishops last week, there has been much attention on the vote taken to draft a document on the Eucharist. The question of whether or not to deny any individual or groups Holy Communion was not on the ballot,” the conference said of the vote.
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While the draft, as passed, does not mention the president or any politician or single out abortion as a political issue, it does emphasize the obligations of Catholic public figures to be morally consistent between their faith and public actions.
“Laypeople who exercise some form of public authority have a special responsibility to form their consciences in accord with the Church’s faith and the moral law and to serve the human family by upholding human life and dignity,” the document reads.
The document cites previous USCCB rulings, including a 2006 document saying that Catholics who “knowingly or obstinately” reject church teachings are “not to be admitted” to Communion. The draft also notes the Christian “responsibility to promote the life and dignity” of “the unborn, migrants and refugees, victims of racial injustice, the sick and the elderly.”
In June, the USCCB voted to draft a teaching document on the Eucharist, a sacrament it described as the “source and summit of Christian life.” The bishops have been discussing how to help Catholics build a deeper connection with the sacrament for years. However, the practice took on political implications when President Joe Biden, a Catholic, came into office.
When asked about the president’s position in favor of access to abortions, Cardinal Wilton Gregory said, “The president is not demonstrating Catholic teaching.” This political disparity has driven several Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, to advocate for withholding the Eucharist from Biden and Pelosi.
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But the Vatican dismissed the notion of denying Communion to these politicians, setting up the showdown among bishops.
Biden predicted in June he would not be denied the sacrament, saying after meeting with Pope Francis last month that the Catholic leader told him he was “happy” the president’s a “good Catholic.”
