Catholic bishops advance effort to deny Biden communion
Former Priest Jonathan Morris explains why the president and other politician's views on abortion could affect standing in the Catholic church
Critics unloaded on The Washington Post for publishing a piece that described President Biden as "deeply Catholic" in its analysis of the debate over whether the president should continue to take Communion in light of his support of some abortion policies.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) recently voted overwhelmingly in favor of drafting a formal document on the meaning of the Eucharist as debate rages about Biden's stance on abortion. During the 2020 presidential election, Biden appeared to adopt more pro-choice positions, including his reversal on the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to subsidize abortions except for cases of rape, incest, or when a woman's life is endangered, noting that he could "no longer support" the amendment. The Catholic Church has long cemented its pro-life position. The president has said he personally opposes abortion, but does not believe in imposing that position on Americans.
"Biden is arguably the most observant president in decades, and his faith is a core part of his identity," The Washington Post's Matt Viser wrote on Friday in his piece titled, "Biden, deeply Catholic president, at odds with many U.S. bishops." "He rarely misses Mass. He crosses himself in public. He quotes scripture, he cites hymns and he clutches rosary beads ahead of key decisions."
"But now, the nation’s most prominent Catholic is at odds with many of the American bishops of his church," Viser added.
Twitter users scoffed at the framing of the piece, in part arguing that the Post set the piety bar too low for Biden and that his behavior is not all that reminiscent of a traditionally devout Catholic.
CATHOLIC BISHOPS APPROVE COMMUNION DOCUMENT AIMED AT POSSIBLE REBUKE OF BIDEN
"So according to WaPo, all you have to do to be ‘deeply Catholic’ is attend Mass, cross yourself and ‘use rosary beads’ (??)," wrote The Federalist Political Editor John Daniel Davidson. "Never mind, you know, actually believing what the Church teaches and submitting to its authority. For these people, religion is an affect, nothing more."
Many other religious social media users agreed that the Post's analysis missed the point, arguing that while Biden may perform Catholic rituals, his stance on abortion is deeply at odds with the Church.
Media analysts were equally blunt in their assessments, noting that that the Post's report appeared to be light on research.
"The story is an outright lie from the headline to the last line," The Media Research Center's Dan Gainor told Fox News. "No, Joe Biden is not a ‘deeply Catholic president’ or a ‘Catholic icon’ on par with the pope, as this propaganda pretends. He supports funding abortion, so he openly opposes one of the key beliefs of his supposed faith. There are literally no voices criticizing Biden for this anywhere in the story.
"It took until the 28th paragraph before the author detailed how Biden’s pro-abortion ‘position has caused some bishops to deny him Communion,'" Gainor continued. "It added that ‘Catholic schools have not allowed him to speak’ and he caused an ‘uproar’ at Notre Dame. Yet the Post considers him ‘the nation’s most prominent Catholic’ and then admits his ‘public stances go against church doctrine.’ Is it any wonder why the bishops might want to take action against him undermining their faith?"
WASHINGTON POST SLAMMED FOR TWEETING ‘VERY CATHOLIC’ BIDEN COLLIDING WITH ‘RIGHT-WING’ BISHOPS
Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway similarly knocked the report for what she described as glaring omissions about the Catholic faith.
"Again and again, the corrupt media just don't get religion," Hemingway told Fox News. "As part of its daily advocacy on behalf of Biden, The Washington Post tried to claim that crossing himself was a vastly more important indicator of his Catholicism than adherence to the actual doctrines, including the Christian church's clear, consistent, and long-held opposition to the killing of innocent children, whether born or unborn."
"The Roman Catholic Church obviously doesn't care if members are liberal, but it has every reason to care if prominent members are creating a scandal by using their positions of power to support the killing of children, a flagrant rejection of clear, consistent, and long-held church teaching," she continued.
"The mainstream media continues to cover issues related to a belief held by 1.5 billion people as if it is a niche hobby of an uncontacted tribe," wrote freelance journalist Drew Holden.
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It wasn't the first time The Washington Post was panned for describing Biden as "devout." In an April report, the outlet caught flak for tweeting that the "very Catholic" president was sparring with "right-wing" bishops over abortion.
Asked for his opinion on whether he believes he will be denied Communion, Biden told the press on Friday, "That's a private matter and I don't think that's going to happen."