ROME – The Vatican on Friday declined to comment on U.S. President Joe Biden’s claim that Pope Francis encouraged him to continue receiving Holy Communion at Mass.
Biden met with Pope Francis at the Vatican for about 75 years minutes On Friday morning, then reporters asked him if the topic of abortion had emerged at their meeting.
“No, it’s not,” Biden he said. “It showed up – we just talked about him being happy that I’m a good Catholic and that I should continue to receive communion.”
Many American bishops have called for Biden to stop labeling himself a “devout Catholic” because of his vocal stance against the church’s fundamental teachings on abortion, same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and religious freedom. Some prelates have said publicly that the president should voluntarily stop receiving Holy Communion.
Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visits Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin on September 3, 2020 (JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images).
Asked if the pope really said Biden was a good Catholic and should continue to receive Holy Communion, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See’s press office, replied: “The interview would be considered a private conversation and is limited to what has been said. in a press release. “
Public Vatican message she said the two leaders talked about climate change, the coronavirus pandemic, immigration and human rights, including religious freedom.
Contrary to the usual protocol of meetings between the pope and the head of state, the Vatican did not allow the media to be present at the Biden-Francis meeting, nor was any live video broadcast provided. It is not clear if it is decision to exclude the media came from the Vatican or the White House.
Catholic League President Bill Donohue said he maintains health skepticism regarding Biden’s report of his meeting with the Pope because it doesn’t make sense and because Biden is a “pathological liar”.
Biden is only the second Catholic to become president, and U.S. bishops have repeatedly reminded him to re-establish a taxpayer-funded abortion, at home and abroad.
And on January 20th statement The President of the American Episcopal Conference (USCCB), Archbishop José Gomez, lamented that “our new President has committed himself to pursue certain policies that promote moral evil and endanger human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage and spol. “
“The freedom of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their conscience are deeply worrying,” the statement said.
Pope Francis has repeatedly condemned abortion as a horrific crime and called it “fatigue”And compare killing unborn children with“ hiring a hit«To destroy the enemy.