It is a serious matter for President Joe Biden to profess Catholicism while publicly backing contradictory action on matters such as abortion, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas has said in an interview with the Atlantic.
“I want to protect my people from being misled. His actions, right now, do mislead,” Naumann said in an interview with the Atlantic published March 14. “They do create confusion for people in terms of what the Church believes and teaches.”
“Obviously, the president doesn’t believe what we believe about the sacredness of human life, or he wouldn’t be taking the actions that he is. And yet, he continues to receive the Eucharist,” said the archbishop.
“We can’t judge his heart. But we consider the action itself a grave moral evil.”
He compared the reception of the Eucharist to a profession of faith “in all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”
This makes Biden’s behavior a “point of confusion.”
For Naumann, this action from the president presents a challenge to the witness of the Church.
“To have a president who is an engaged Catholic, but who acts in contradiction to some of our most fundamental moral teachings — we haven’t really faced that kind of challenge before,” he said. He lamented that Biden takes certain actions that contradict Catholic beliefs and thought, and when questioned, Biden or his press secretary describes him as “a devout Catholic.”
“Whether he intends it or not, he’s basically saying to people, ‘You can be a good Catholic and do similar things’,” said Naumann.
Biden once backed some limits on abortion and abortion funding but his administration has come out strongly against abortion restrictions and the Hyde Amendment, which limits most federal funding for abortion.
Naumann suggested there is “similar moral gravity” between performing an abortion or assisting someone to get an abortion and some pro-abortion Biden policy, like ending the Hyde Amendment.
“They’re obviously not identical things. But he’s formally cooperating in abortion by his actions,” the archbishop said. “He intends to make abortion available and accessible, to promote it, even help pay for it. He wants to force everybody else to do this as well, even if it violates their consciences.”
Naumann reiterated the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ November 2019 statement that called abortion “the preeminent issue of our time.”
“It attacks innocent human life when it’s most vulnerable,” he explained. “It happens within the context of the family and attacks the most precious of human relationships: that between a mother and a child. And the sheer numbers of abortions—there’s no other issue in terms of the numbers of lives destroyed.”
The Atlantic asked Naumann if he believes that the Catholic bishops should more widely discourage pro-abortion rights elected officials from receiving Communion and should bar priests from giving them Communion.
“I do believe that we have an obligation as pastors to try to work for their spiritual good,” Naumann replied. “If it’s a member of public life doing things that are moral evils, then I or their pastor need to help them be aware of the seriousness of what they’re doing.”
In response to reports that some grieve that the pro-life cause has been too aligned with the Republican Party and President Donald Trump, Naumann said that he shares this grief. He cited his own upbringing in a Catholic, Democratic family.
“I firmly believe we’ll never really build this culture of life we want until we have members of both parties. It can’t be a single-party issue,” he said. “But that’s not something people in the pro-life movement have chosen. The political parties have chosen their positions on this. It’s a great sadness to me that the Democratic Party has become so intolerant of anybody who has pro-life convictions. They’ve driven a lot of people out of their party….”
The above comes from a March 15 story on the site of the Catholic News Agency.
President Biden’s “Catholicity” is of great concern to the Bishops. And yet, they seem to not have any concerns about hitching their wagons to the “former guy” who has been accused of sexual assault numerous times, was pro-abortion until it became politically expedient for him to throw his lot with the pro-lifers and he boasted about grabbing women’s genitals. I know some Bishops who are not enthusiastic about Pope Francis and have criticized his encyclical Laudato Si. Are these Bishops any less Catholic for doing so?
Ah yes the leftist Catholic complaining about things bishops didnt do when the most pro-life president in the history of the country. Yet we have a so-called Catholic president who is the most pro abortion president in history and could possibly sign legislation that will infringe upon the rights of the Church (ie Equality act) I know some Bishops who are not enthusiastic about Pope Francis and have criticized his encyclical Laudato Si. Are these Bishops any less Catholic for doing so?” not at all they are probably better Catholics for that alone.
No.
The conundrum that the bishops face, and hence the Church, is the difference between what it teaches and what Catholics believe. The Church teaches that birth control is a sin. The majority of Catholics don’t believe that. The Church teaches that abortion is the worst of sins. The majority of Catholics don’t favor abortion but believe that a woman should have a choice. This is not new. The world changed when the “pill” became widely available and widely used. “Good Catholics” have been at odds with Church teaching for decades. The problem for the Church is that there is a “good catholic” in the White House and the veneer is peeling off in public, for all to see.
Bob One it is irrelevant whether or not the majority believe that an action such abortion or contraception is sin or not. The fact remains they are sins.
Trumpovsky and bohemond: it boils down to this: does the President, acting as the representative of all citizens of this country, and not showing preferential treatment toward any one per se. It’s a hard road to walk, because no matter how he plays it, the president will be blamed and ridiculed. Be very careful about what you hope for – you might get it and it won’t be what you expected. Imagine if a Republican President was a Mormon, and perhaps hinted that that religion has the inside track to heaven? Would you be so pleased then? IMHO, Trump played the role of a pro-lifer, but you didn’t see him exactly being a religious man by any means? He would rather golf than go to church, so what example is that? I can see the conflict between those who would want to deny Biden communion because of his political stance on abortion, but I also would want a President receiving as much grace as he could given his job. Can you imagine the backlash if Biden said, “Okay, I am a Catholic, and since ya’ll don’t like it, I will visibly not take communion”. So your teen who goes to church with you now says they don’t want communion because the President doesn’t, either because they see his example of they too realize it’s because of his views. How many adults do they know that take communion, but quietly also use birth control, or if an inadvertent pregnancy took place, they would publicly condemn abortion but quietly help that person to get one? I’ve seen it done more than a few times where the “rules” and dogma are upheld in public, but deep down given the same situation, they quietly don’t want those rules applied to them because they happen to help at Altar Society or act as deacons, etc… Final thought: who are we as mere humans and lay persons to judge another? Let us not judge, lest we be judged? Where’s the forgiveness Christ expects of us? Where’s the compassion? Do you pray for our president, no matter who he or she is? Is their political view on abortion the only thing you condemn, or are you that holy yourself? Biden is not advocating that everyone get one, he’s respecting that some of the country allows this legally. So all this malarkey about him being the worst is just that – you’re judging a good man, who yes has faults, but admits them, but you sanctimoniously and self righteously condemn him. That’s God’s job, not ours, and if a priest denies him communion, then that’s so, and if the priest gives him communion, then that’s so as well
Biden a good man who promotes child killing and sodomy? I thought I heard it all. And who are you to be the judge jury and executioner of those residing in the womb? Who is self-righteous but those who advance the culture of death and us fascist tactics to implement an agender which is deadly? Who are you to condemn those who are fighting (sorry didn’t intend to use hate speech!) against the violence of abortion. Pick on someone your own size and stop defending the mass murder of over 60 million lives and the deadly practice of sodomy which the good (?) President Biden supports. Can you imagine those who defend life and traditional marriage are labeled evil and those who promote evil are considered good. Satan must be in his glory with Biden and his defenders of the culture of death.
Final thought: who are we as mere humans and lay persons to judge another? Let us not judge, lest we be judged? – The only line in scripture liberals know by heart, but always get wrong. We not to judge the conditions of ones soul, but his action yes we can judge actions. And I will judge Biden’s unmitigated support for child killing and his officiating at a sodomite marriage.
Where’s the forgiveness Christ expects of us? Forgiveness can only be offered when repentance is present, give the day and time that Biden has even once repented of his anti-Catholic stances Where’s the compassion? I have none for this fraudulent Catholic.
Do you pray for our president, no matter who he or she is? Is their political view on abortion the only thing you condemn, or are you that holy yourself?
I have better people I can offer my prayers I will let you liberals waste your time with this one. And Yes I am better Catholic that Biden will ever be , why you might ask, because his actions has lead to direct destruction of human life. I can’t be blamed for anything of that magnitude
Biden is not advocating that everyone get one, he’s respecting that some of the country allows this legally. So all this malarkey about him being the worst is just that – you’re judging a good man, No it is not malarkey, you are just liberal who is incapable of discerning the moral law, and no Biden is not a good man he a fraud
If Mr. Biden doesn’t believe what “we” believe he simply is not a Catholic and in no way should he be considered one and the Bishops should publicly say so.
If the Bishops truly believed in the sacredness of human life, then they would have not allowed so many priests, sisters, bishops and even a Cardinal to molest innocent children. Also, they would not have covered up for these same people for so many years. Before they start condemning President Biden they need to look in the mirror, get on their knees and humbly beg from God His forgiveness.
I think Biden does believe what we believe about the sacredness of human life. He just wanted power more than integrity.
You give him too much credit. He hasn’t thought about it that much.
Than he is worse than a fraud he is a traitor
Too bad not all our Bishops believe that abortion is the preeminent issue of our time. Bishop of San Diego get on board
Joe Biden is what I call a “Catholic but…”