Former Archbishop Calls on Church to Deny Joe Biden Holy Communion
Biden's opposition to church teachings seen as grave moral matters
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Former Vice President Joe Biden's pro-stance on issues like abortion has put his so-called Catholic faith into question by former Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput.
According to church teachings, public servants committing a public sin like Biden should be refused access to the sacrament of Holy Communion until they repent.
Despite this, D.C. Cardinal Wilton Gregory said that he would administer Holy Communion to Biden in the spirit of dialogue.
But Chaput disagrees.
Chaput argued that denying the former vice president Holy Communion would be the appropriate pastoral action, but he also acknowledged the exercising prudence to avoid negative optics for the church.
“Public figures who identify as ‘Catholic’ give scandal to the faithful when receiving Communion by creating the impression that the moral laws of the Church are optional,” writes Chaput.
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“And bishops give similar scandal by not speaking up publicly about the issue and danger of sacrilege,” he adds.
“Those bishops who publicly indicate in advance that they will undertake their own dialogue with President-elect Joseph Biden and allow him Communion effectively undermine the work of the task force established at the November bishops’ conference meeting to deal precisely with this and related issues,” he continues.
“This gives scandal to their brother bishops and priests, and to the many Catholics who struggle to stay faithful to Church teaching."
"It does damage to the bishops’ conference, to the meaning of collegiality, and to the fruitfulness of the conference’s advocacy work with the incoming administration.”
Chaput also noted that Biden's decision to facilitate the evil of abortion goes against Catholic teachings.
“This is not a ‘political’ matter, and those who would describe it as such are either ignorant or willfully confusing the issue,” he concludes.
“This is a matter of bishops’ unique responsibility before the Lord for the integrity of the sacraments.
"Moreover, there is also the pressing matter of pastoral concern for a man’s salvation.”
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The Catholic Church views abortion as a grave moral evil that cannot be approved or tolerated.
Last year, a Catholic priest in South Carolina refused Biden the sacrament of Holy Communion due to his stance on abortion.
“Sadly, this past Sunday, I had to refuse Holy Communion to former Vice President Joe Biden,” Father Robert E. Morey of Saint Anthony Catholic Church told reporters.
“Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other, and the Church. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching.”
Earlier this year, a nun criticized Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), warning that the pairing makes "the most anti-life presidential ticket ever."
Sister Dede Byrne, of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, blasted Biden and Harris during a speech at the RNC's Republican National Convention.
Byrne, a former military doctor-turned-nun, warned the American public that both former Vice President Biden and Sen. Harris support "the horrors of late-term abortion and infanticide."
During her powerful address, Sister Byrne praised President Donald Trump for his pro-life policies.
