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Joe Biden might be denied Holy Communion for abortion stance: Catholic bishops

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops' doctrine committee is expected to include a specific admonition of Catholic public figures disobeying the gospel on abortion

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops caused a stir on social media after voting overwhelmingly to draft a formal document on the meaning of the Eucharist. This came as a response to a contentious debate on whether President Joe Biden and other lawmakers who support abortion are worthy of receiving the Holy Communion at Mass.

Over 73% of US bishops who cast ballots at a virtual conference this week voted in favor of drafting language on maintaining consistency with the Eucharist. The USCCB's doctrine committee is now expected to include a specific admonition of Catholic public figures who disobey the gospel on abortion and other core doctrinal issues, Fox News reported.

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The final tally announced Friday, June 18, was a staggering 168 bishops in favor of the amendment, while 55 opposed and six bishops abstained from the vote. Subsequently, at least two-thirds of the bishops would have to formalize the new language in another vote at their next gathering due in November.

While the decision of whether to allow Biden Communion would be left up to individual bishops, a new document would inform those decisions, as per the outlet. In the Catholic faith, the bread and wine used for Communion during Mass are believed to become the body and blood of Jesus Christ respectively. Some bishops voiced concerns about whether the POTUS is worthy for Communion considering his pro-abortion policies that are opposed to the Catholic Church's pro-life belief system.

Biden, despite attending Mass regularly, has claimed that he personally does not support abortion, but that Americans should be free to take their own position on the issue. During his presidency, he has taken several executive actions that were lauded by pro-abortionists.

On Friday, June 18, Biden was asked about the Catholic bishops' decision and whether he would be denied Communion. "That's a private matter and I don't think that's going to happen," he responded.

Some bishops have claimed Biden left them no choice while making the decision, adding that the church's credibility was on the line if the document hadn't been approved to reaffirm the core Catholic values during a time of crisis.

"It’s not the bishops who have brought us to this point — it's some of our public officials," Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City argued during Thursday's debate on June 17. "This is a Catholic president doing the most aggressive things we’ve ever seen on life at its most innocent." However, social media users appeared divided on the decision to deny the POTUS communion. Some agreed that faith leaders had a duty to "stand up for the doctrine."

"Catholic Bishops only need to uphold the teachings of Christ's Church. They have refused up till now. Canon 915 says public sinners who refuse to repent are to be denied. Biden refuses to stop supporting abortion. Open and shut case," one wrote.

"About time so-called leaders in the American Catholic Church decided to stand up for the doctrine," another agreed.

"As someone who has had been a practicing Catholic all his life and is immensely profound in his faith, this decision regarding communion must be tearing Biden apart and I think that’s the point," a third added.

Meanwhile, others accused American Catholic bishops of politicizing religion. "Time for Pope Francis to have a 'Come to Jesus moment' with the Catholic Bishops who want to deny President Biden Communion. Their statement is political, not religious," left-wing activist Chris Hahn wrote.

"If US bishops are politicizing the Eucharist, maybe the church needs to pay taxes. Vatican Warns US Bishops: Don’t Deny Biden Communion Over Abortion," another Twitter user added. "Spare me the moralizing from the institution that is indubitably the world and history’s leader in child sexual abuse," another alleged.