Pope Francis characterized professing Catholic President Joe Biden’s support for abortion an “incoherence,” suggesting the American leader refer to his pastor over this conflict with the church doctrine on the sanctity of life.
Biden is only the nation’s second Catholic president, yet his legacy as this title holder is likely to forever include the footnote that his policy platform when it comes to unborn lives conflicts starkly with the church teaching on abortion and has come in an era when some Catholic leaders have called for politicians like himself to be barred from receiving communion over the moral conflict.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s diocese in San Francisco has refused her communion over her support for abortion — although she received communion during a visit to the Vatican just days after dramatically lamenting the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade, a decision which allowed several states in the union to subsequently ban or outright restrict abortion.
On the issue, the pontiff stated in an interview with Univisión and Televisa this week that science makes the humanity of an unborn baby clear, and that “a month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life.”
“Is it just to eliminate a human life?” Pope Francis asked.
“Let (Biden) talk to his pastor about that incoherence,” he said, as reported by the Catholic News Agency.
President Biden, meanwhile, has said he does not “agree” that life begins at conception. and has been using executive action to use the federal government to protect access to abortion since last month’s Supreme Court decision.
In 2021, he said, “I have been and continue to be a strong supporter of Roe v. Wade.”
“I respect them — those who believe life begins at the moment of conception and all — I respect that. Don’t agree, but I respect that,” he also said.
At the time, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington D.C. responded that “The Catholic Church teaches, and has taught, that life — human life — begins at conception. So, the president is not demonstrating Catholic teaching.”
However, Wilton said he would not deny Biden or any other pro-abortion politician communion, a view which the president’s parish, Holy Trinity, echoed.
“Holy Trinity Catholic Church will not deny the Eucharist to persons presenting themselves to receive it,” the parish council said in a statement.
“As a parish which has a long history of welcoming all, we concur with and support the pastoral approach of our Archbishop.”
If you appreciate the work we are doing for faith, family, and freedom, please consider a small donation to help us continue. Thank you so much!
