Biden Says Pope Francis Called Him A ‘Good Catholic’ As Vatican Declines To Comment
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Pope Francis on Friday at the Vatican. Vatican press office pool photo.
President Joe Biden said that Pope Francis told him on Friday that he’s “a good Catholic” who should continue to receive Holy Communion — heightening the rift between the pope and a group of U.S. bishops because of the commander-in-chief’s support for abortion.
The meeting lasted 75 minutes — twice as long as a typical papal audience — and video of it released by the Vatican showed Biden and Francis talking in the papal library. The meeting between Biden, a practicing Roman Catholic who attends Mass every Sunday, and the pope comes as there is debate by U.S. clergy to deny Communion to politicians who support abortion.
Asked if abortion had come up during the meeting, Biden told reporters, “We just talked about the fact that he was happy I’m a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion.”
READ: Catholicism Grows In Africa And Asia, Plummets In Europe
READ: Pelosi's Papal Audience: More Proof Of A New Era Of Partisan Press?
Biden’s support for abortion has put him at odds with many bishops, some of whom have said he should be denied Holy Communion because it goes directly against Catholic teaching. Pope Francis has said politics has no place in the decision about who receives the Eucharist, while also expressing support for same-sex civil unions.
Biden, only the second Catholic president in U.S. history, said the pope did not give Communion to him during their meeting. Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican press office, would not comment on Biden’s remarks, saying, “I would consider it a private conversation.”
Unlike past meetings between Pope Francis and a head of state, the Vatican did not allow reporters to be present when Biden and the pontiff met, citing COVID-19 concerns. A livestream of the meeting was not provided.
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, cast doubt on Biden’s public statements about the meeting.
“Like everyone else, we at the Catholic League have no way of knowing whether Biden's remarks are accurate,” he said. “But from what we know about the Vatican's handling of the meeting, and Biden's long record of lying about many important matters, we are maintaining a healthy skepticism about the president's rendition. It is certainly in Biden's interest to have everyone think that the pope encouraged him to keep receiving communion. This issue matters because it has troubled many American bishops.”
A poll by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute released on the eve of the meeting showed that Americans are divided when it comes to denying Communion to political leaders. Among Catholics who responded to the poll, 47.4% said Communion should be denied to those leaders who are in favor of access to abortion.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will meet next month in Baltimore for its annual fall convention. On the agenda will be debate over denying Biden Communion. Two-thirds of bishops last summer overwhelmingly voted in favor of drafting a document to address whether politicians who publicly support abortion are worthy of receiving Communion.
“Dear Pope Francis, You have boldly stated that abortion is ‘murder.’ Please challenge President Biden on this critical issue,” Bishop Thomas Tobin — who oversees the Providence, Rhode Island, diocese — wrote on Twitter. “His persistent support of abortion is an embarrassment for the Church and a scandal to the world.”
Pope Francis has previously called abortion “murder” and even compared the action to hiring a hit man.
On the eve of the meeting, Cardinal Raymond Burke wrote in a column on his website, “I invite you to pray with me for the Church in the United States of America and in every nation, that … she will be faithful, limpid and uncompromising in the application of can. 915, defending the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist, safeguarding the souls of Catholic politicians who would grievously violate the moral law and still present themselves to receive Holy Communion.”
Asked whether Biden discussed the USCCB with the pope, the president said that was a private conversation.
The meeting also included the custom of exchanging presents. Biden presented Francis with a liturgical vestment made in 1930 by the Rome-based papal tailor Gamarelli. The White House also said it would make a donation to an unnamed charity in the pope’s name. The pope, in return, gave Biden a special ceramic tile.
“Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world’s poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict and persecution,” the White House said in a statement. “He lauded Pope Francis’ leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery.”
After the meeting, the Vatican issued a statement of its own, saying Biden “was received in audience by the Holy Father Francis and subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.”
“During the course of the cordial discussions, the Parties focused on the joint commitment to the protection and care of the planet, the healthcare situation and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the theme of refugees and assistance to migrants,” the statement added. “Reference was also made to the protection of human rights, including freedom of religion and conscience.”
Both statements were released immediately after the meeting but before Biden’s public comments about Communion.
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.