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Not too long ago, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, or USCCB, voted in favor of creating new guidance on the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist, also known as Communion.
According to The New York Times, the guidance could be used as justification for church leaders to refuse to give Communion to so-called "pro-choice" politicians like President Joe Biden.
Biden is only the second Catholic president in American history, the first being President John F. Kennedy.
The decision as to whether to allow Mr. Biden to receive Communion is ultimately left up to local bishops and the pope. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Mr. Biden’s bishop in Washington, D.C., has already stated that he will not deny the president Communion.
Pope Francis has not commented on the new guidance, although the Vatican did release a statement warning church leaders not to create documents that bar public figures from receiving Communion.
However, while the USCCB itself cannot deny Mr. Biden or other political figures Communion, the USCCB’s vote does show the power exerted by a rising conservative group of Catholics who want to send a clear message about their "pro-life" stance.
Mr. Biden’s support of abortion rights goes against Catholic teachings, which often oppose abortion for any reason.
On the day Mr. Biden was sworn into office, Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the USCCB, said in a statement on the USCCB’s website, “Abortion is a direct attack on life that also wounds the woman and undermines the family. It is not only a private matter, it raises troubling and fundamental questions of fraternity, solidarity and inclusion in the human community.”
According to the Washington Post, the USCCB’s vote to create new guidance on Communion could create a deeper rift in the divided community of U.S. Catholics.
"The Relevance (and Irrelevance) of Questions of Personhood (and Mindedness) to the Abortion Debate"
For an insightful and carefully articulated publication on the abortion issue, check out Dr. David Kyle Johnson's article in SHERM Journal by clicking below.
