On Monday, outspoken liberals across the Twittersphere came out defending President Biden and attacking the Catholic church after news broke last week that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are drafting new guidance that could deny pro-choice lawmakers the sacrament of Holy Communion.
This proposal could result in high-profile Catholic lawmakers, namely Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi, from receiving the sacrament due to their unwavering support of abortion. Their stance on this issue puts them at odds with the Church.
As we reported in 2019, Biden was allegedly denied communion at a Catholic church in South Carolina while on the campaign trail. We posed the question, “should this happen more often?” as his pro-choice stance has been common knowledge for years now. Now, it appears that a movement to bar pro-choice lawmakers from the sacrament could finally be on the horizon.
Since Friday, Twitter users came forward to express their disdain toward the USCCB’s actions to possibly deny Holy Communion to Biden and other notable, pro-choice, Catholic lawmakers. Some attacked the USCCB, some attacked the Catholic church entirely, and, of course, some attacked former President Trump.
.@USCCB is not worried about your life, your health, your embryo or, later, fetus or even your newborn. They just want control and to deflect attention from their own grotesque moral failures.
— Jodi Jacobson ???? #BlackLivesMatter (@jljacobson) June 21, 2021
73% of Catholic bishops voted to deny President Joe Biden communion. If churches want to play politics like this, they should pay 73% taxes.
— Elysabeth Britt (@ElysabethBritt) June 21, 2021
When the Catholic Church works harder to deny President Biden communion for his support of women rights than on immigrant justice, eradicating poverty, ending police violence etc.
— Cristina Jiménez (@CrisAlexJimenez) June 21, 2021
Hence one of many reasons I left the Catholic Church. pic.twitter.com/dxX8Npvz3i
I don't think this has ever happened before, has it? a bunch of bishops getting together to prevent communion of a president, because of politics? you don't think this is another blatant attempt to undermine Biden & manipulate politics?
— ???????n? (@vickorano) June 21, 2021
Joe Biden is the 2nd elected Catholic president in US history, arguably the most religious president since Jimmy Carter, and his church is going to take away his Holy Communion for his political views. Guess JFK was wrong. The Catholic church is trying to govern the country.
— Jim Heath (@JimHeathTV) June 21, 2021
Just so this point doesn't get lost, remember that Joe Biden has not (to my knowledge) HAD AN ABORTION. They bishops want to deny him communion because he thinks OTHER PEOPLE get to make their own decisions.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) June 19, 2021
They angry at Biden's HUMILITY of not imposing his views on others.
The Catholic Church benefited enormously from the JFK Presidency. Prejudice against Catholics declined & millions were exposed to church rituals. Church leaders welcomed the "JFK effect". Now at last there is a 2nd Catholic @POTUS , and what do some in the hierarchy do? Ruin it.
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) June 21, 2021
I find it hard to believe Pope Francis will accept the US Bishops’ recommendation and deny President Biden Communion.
— Chris Hahn (@ChristopherHahn) June 18, 2021
It’s clearly a political statement that should be rejected by Rome.
Catholic bishops in the U.S didn't seem to mind the last guy grabbing women by the pussy, sleeping with porn stars while his third wife was giving birth, or his staff slipping abortion pills into their stripper gal pal's drinks, so naturally they want to deny Joe Biden communion.
— Mr. Newberger (@jeremynewberger) June 18, 2021
Joe Biden is not the President of Catholics, he is the President of the United States. He does not deserve to be punished for representing all of us, especially women's rights in this case. What I'm doing is defending his 1st amendment right to practice his faith to the fullest.
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) June 19, 2021
“The View” covered the topic on Monday as well, with most of the hosts disagreeing with the USCCB’s decision to draft new guidance regarding the sacrament of Holy Communion, the primary argument being “separation of church and state.” Meghan McCain, conversely, offered a different stance.
“If you are a devout Catholic, as President Biden claims to be, abortion is a cardinal sin. It can do deep spiritual harm to you,” said McCain during the segment. “We have to, as pro-lifers, fight for the rights of the unborn and that is a doctrine that is as old as the Catholic church itself.”
McCain went a step further to explain how Biden’s position on the Hyde Amendment flipped in 2019. He previously supported the Hyde Amendment, which would ban federal money from funding abortions. He now opposes it.
During a recent press conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki took a question from a reporter inquiring about Biden’s reaction to the USCCB’s document clarifying who should receive communion. Psaki avoided the question, only describing Biden’s relationship with his faith.
“Joe Biden is a strong man of faith,” said Psaki during the press conference. “The president’s faith is personal. It’s something that has helped guide him through some challenging moments in his life. And that’s how many Americans see their faith as well. Not through a political prism.”
Watch the video of the question below:
When asked about the US Catholic Bishops' document "to clarify who should receive Communion," Jen Psaki says "The President's faith is personal...I would suspect he will continue to attend church..." pic.twitter.com/XVHkH6Nct6
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 21, 2021
The outcome of this USCCB conference could pave the way for priests to deny communion to pro-choice advocates like Biden and Pelosi going forward. As of right now, Pope Francis has remained silent on this specific issue.