President Joe Biden, the first Catholic Commander in Chief in some six decades who proclaims himself to be a "devout" follower of the church's teachings, won't be attending the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI following his passing last week.
If it seems strange that such a close follower of the Catholic Church would not attend the final goodbye to the previous Holy Father — not to mention passing on a chance to get out of D.C. for a few days as he seemingly does whenever possible — it's because it wasn't Biden's choice. At least not completely.
When asked the obvious question of whether "devout Catholic" Biden would attend the funeral for the former leader of his church, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spilled the beans.
In Tuesday's briefing, Jean-Pierre said that — instead of the president — the United States will be represented at Pope Benedict XVI's funeral by America's Ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly. Jean-Pierre explained that the decision for Biden to skip out on the farewell was made "in line with the wishes of the late Pope and the Vatican" because "their wishes" were for Biden not to attend.
Well isn't that something. Biden, not just the chief executive of the United States but also someone who frequently invokes his Catholic faith in his political speeches, is not welcome in the Vatican for the late Pope's funeral. A bit strange.
The strange factor only increased on Wednesday morning when President Biden was asked why he wouldn't be in attendance at the late Pope's funeral. Biden's response makes it seem like Biden is either more confused than usual, or he knows exactly why he didn't receive an invite and was even told not to attend.
“You're not attending [Pope Benedict’s] funeral tomorrow... Why?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 4, 2023
BIDEN: "Well, why do you think?
“You tell me!”
BIDEN: "You know why." pic.twitter.com/Wo521Msozh
Well, if Biden is leaving it up to us to decide why he's being excluded from Pope Benedict XVI's funeral, there's one big reason that comes to mind: his work to advance the pro-abortion agenda — something that has put Biden on unsteady footing with the Vatican in the past.
Previously, Biden traveled to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis in November 2021 to have an audience with the leader of his church to discuss "efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity." As then-Press Secretary Jen Psaki previewed at the time, that milquetoast feel-good topic meant ending the COVID pandemic — something Biden didn't do — and tackling the climate crisis. Remember when Biden had the 2023 omnibus bill flown to him on St. Croix to be signed. We do.
Following his meeting with Pope Francis, Biden claimed the Holy Father told Biden he was "happy" the president "was a good Catholic" and said Biden "should keep receiving communion."
But Pope Francis hasn't always felt so warmly about Biden and his political positions. In a July 2022 interview, Pope Francis reiterated that "a month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned," proving the unborn are, in fact "human life."
As such, Pope Francis continued, President Biden's defense of abortion is left to his "conscience," and he should "talk to his pastor about that incoherence." No kidding.
Could it be that this "incoherence" between Biden's stated "devout" belief in the teachings of the Catholic Church and his use of the presidency to advance the pro-abortion crowd's goals that made the Vatican tell Biden not to bother coming for Pope Benedict XVI's funeral? Pope Francis is, after all, the head of the Vatican and ultimately responsible for official decisions. Or did the late Pope give instructions that Biden not be a part of his funeral?
Whatever the internal discussions were that led the Vatican to tell Biden not to pack his bags for a trip, it's another embarrassment for President Biden on the world stage despite his campaign promises to supposedly rebuild America's relationships with other governments and leaders.
While the situation should give Biden pause, his party has tragically gone too far down the "shout your abortion" path for him to be able to manage an about-face after any change of heart he might have.