President Joe Biden’s long self-presentation as a devout Catholic contradicts his strong political stands backing abortion. For Archbishop Joseph Naumann, this means Biden needs to acknowledge this, and the bishops need to correct him.
“The president should stop defining himself as a devout Catholic, and acknowledge that his view on abortion is contrary to Catholic moral teaching. It would be a more honest approach from him to say he disagreed with his Church on this important issue and that he was acting contrary to Church teaching,” Naumann, the Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas, told Catholic World Report in an interview published Feb. 13.
“When he says he is a devout Catholic, we bishops have the responsibility to correct him. Although people have given this president power and authority, he cannot define what it is to be a Catholic and what Catholic moral teaching is,” the archbishop added.
“What he is doing now is usurping the role of the bishops and confusing people. He’s declaring that he’s Catholic, and is going to force people to support abortion through their tax dollars. The bishops need to correct him, as the president is acting contrary to the Catholic faith,” he said.
Naumann also serves as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. In that role, he issued the bishops’ swift response to Biden’s Jan. 22 statement backing legal abortion on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
“We strongly urge the president to reject abortion and promote life-affirming aid to women and communities in need,” said the U.S. bishops’ statement.
Naumann’s interview comes just weeks after Biden became the second Catholic to serve as U.S. president, with administration officials making a point to emphasize his Mass attendance.
While in the past, as a U.S. Senator from Delaware, Biden had supported some restrictions on abortion and abortion funding, Biden has since backed the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which bars most federal funding of abortions.
At a Jan. 20 press briefing on the first day of Biden’s presidency, Owen Jensen of EWTN News asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki what Biden plans to do regarding the Hyde Amendment and the Mexico City Policy.
Psaki did not give any details.
“But I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he (Biden) is a devout Catholic, and somebody who attends church regularly,” Psaki told reporters. “He started his day with attending his church this morning.”
In the early days of his presidency, Biden repealed the Mexico City Policy, which bars federal funding of foreign NGOs that promote or perform abortions as a method of family planning. With Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden has emphasized his commitment to appointing pro-abortion rights federal judges and to codifying pro-abortion court precedents into federal law.
The issue of how Catholic clergy should respond to pro-abortion rights politicians came up during Biden’s campaign for president. Naumann’s Catholic World Report interview discussed the actions of Fr. Robert Morey, a South Carolina priest who refused to give Holy Communion to Biden at Mass in 2019 because of his abortion stance.
“I think he was acting on and following his conscience,” the archbishop said of the priest. “I believe the president has the responsibility not to present himself for Holy Communion.”
“When Catholics receive the Eucharist, they are acknowledging the Real Presence of Jesus, and also belief in the teachings of the Church,” the archbishop said. “President Biden doesn’t believe in the Church’s teachings on the Sanctity of Human Life, and he should not put the priest in the situation where he has to decide whether or not to allow him to receive the Eucharist. He should know that after 78 years as a Catholic.”
Naumann said his “greatest concern” is the possible elimination of the Hyde Amendment.
During the 2004 U.S. election year, the U.S. bishops issued a statement “Catholics in Political Life” that left to individual bishops the decision to withhold Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians.
That same year, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, had sent a letter to Theodore McCarrick, then-Archbishop of Washington, with the expectation that it be read to fellow bishops.
The letter said that pro-abortion politicians, after first being admonished by their pastor on Church teaching and warned against presenting themselves for Communion, “are not to be admitted to holy communion.”
Church law’s definition of “manifest” participation in “grave sin” applies “in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws,” said Ratzinger, who would be elected Pope Benedict XVI at the 2005 conclave.
McCarrick read some but not all of the letter to his fellow bishops at their summer 2014 meeting, omitting key parts. He said that Ratzinger had agreed with the bishops’ decision to leave the judgement about withholding Holy Communion up to each individual bishop. Ratzinger’s entire letter was reported to the public afterward.
Other topics in Naumann’s Catholic World Report interview included reflections on the March for Life, a proposed Kansas constitutional amendment to reject a state Supreme Court finding of a right to abortion, the ethical permissibility of vaccines and whether their use should be obligatory, and legislation like the proposed federal Equality Act, which could coerce religious institutions to act against their religious beliefs.
The above comes from a Feb. 16 story on the site of the Catholic News Agency.
I read elsewhere that the USCCB committee on Biden’s presidency has been quietly disbanded, but they are covering up the fact with the explanation that the committee’s work was temporary and has been completed. The wolves are in the church, they are in the episcopacy, they are hungry and they are eating faithful Catholics for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks. And God does nothing. Just sits by and watches his little ones suffer.
kevin T, your persistent ” God does nothing” phrases may be a sign of theological turrets syndrome. Judas had a bit of it and always eclaimed ” is that all” when he witnessed Jesus’ s miracles. they were never enough. healing only 10 lepers? why not stop all dusease while you’re at it? multiplication of loaves…why aren’t you ending world hunger. and he never liked that ‘ thy kingdom come’ phrase. how about thy kingdom now? please be patient with God.we brought this on ourselves.
I’ve read the Bible many times, the Gospels many times, and have never come across the sayings you attribute to Judas. Please provide citations. The only one that comes close is Judas complaining that the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume could have sold the perfume instead and given the money to the poor. But even that wasn’t about what Jesus was or wasn’t doing; it was about the woman. If Judas “always exclaimed,” as you assert, it should be easy to find the references.
And I’m weary of people saying, “We brought this on ourselves.” I didn’t do anything to bring this on. The sorry state of the church isn’t my fault whatsoever. I have to suffer through it and in it, and I do what I can to fix things, but it just seems to worsen all over the place because of satan’s agents doing their dirty work.
I am shocked that you say that you have read the Bible many times. Why are you always complaining and disrespecting God, then? Did you not believe what you read?
You act like nobody familiar with Scripture ever has a crisis of faith. The Apostles knew Jesus personally for three years, not through the mediation of Scripture, and they ran and hid during the Passion, when it appeared to them that their hope and faith in Christ was for nothing. The power of the resurrection hadn’t been experienced by them yet. It’s not unreasonable to ask where the power of the resurrection is evident today. Not saying it isn’t present, but it is hard to notice, seems to be absent or fading. The Church seems to be experiencing a second Passion event, so we should expect that there will be many who will be frightened as were the first Apostles.
Pray for wisdom.
Anon 4. that was very helpful. Thank you.
They weren’t frightened after the descent of the Holy Spirit. Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Kevin T., I know how you must feel. In Jesus’ day, many Jews were very disappointed, because Jesus was a spiritual leader, and not a political leader, to save the poor Jews from Roman occupation. God gave mankind the gift of Free Will, to grow and learn to make wise decisions, in accordance with God’s Will– and not be “robots.” Evil entered the world by Adam’s Fall, and God sent His own Son, to redeem mankind. At Vatican II, the Pope and his bishops desired to cease traditional Church discipline, and allow both clergy and laity much “freedom” to make their own decisions, as the Church had for centuries, imposed too much strict discipline. So, after the Council, the Vatican nearly abandoned all discipline! All these decades, I have asked our prelates about this “no discipline” problem. I always get the same answer. They say, the post-1960s era is very dark and immoral, many clergy and laity reject Church teachings– and there is a “schism”– making it nearly impossible to lead the Church. Rome is waiting for a better era, to again assume spiritual leadership. If I say, “why wait on the world, and errant clergy and laity? Why not just do the work of Christ, with reasonable discipline?” Then I am told, “the Church thinks in terms of “eons.” Someday, in a better era, way beyond our lifetime, things will be much better, for the Church.” And some prelates also have said, “well, don’t you enjoy your freedom? It’s great.” I think they all are– nuts.
All the world, since Adam’s Fall, has been full of darkness, confusion, and sin! Satan has always been everywhere, doing his evils, even in the Church! When my grandfather, who was educated in Jesuit schools in Italy, at the turn of the 20th century, was taking his First Communion class– taught by a nun– all the children were warned, “don’t chew Baby Jesus, never chew the Host. Swallow it whole– or else, you will go to Hell.” Well, guess what. He and several other kids— ended up “chewing Baby Jesus,” and couldn’t help it, during their First Communion Mass. And it really messed them up. We have always had “bad Catholics,” in all eras, who have done terrible, wicked things, hurting people, in the Church — like the betrayal and execution of St. Joan of Arc, the Spanish Inquisition, and more– like the combining of the holy roles of bishops with secular roles of power, when bishops also were princes, ruling certain regions of Europe, in some eras of history. Some were not believers, some were agnostic, or atheist! Shocking! Many were good patrons of the arts and learning, though they may not have been truly religious. The true teachings of the Church are what I always go by. The priest who says Mass and delivers the Sacraments, vill always be a faithful conduit of Sanctifying Grace, because it comes automatically through his hands, from God– the Sacraments are not dependent on the priest’s state of holiness. That, you can always depend on. And the Bible, Catechism, and Sacred Tradition, are all true and dependable. But trained and ordained men– human beings– always vary, in their sanctity. And some are corrupt.
Since childhood days, I have heard and been warned, the Catholic Church really always sees to what they believe to be their own institutional self-interests, in most all situations. Don’t fight it, you won’t win– nobody, throughout history, has ever been able to get through to them– only a few Church leaders ever really practice the Faith, and some even become Saints! So, follow the Saints, and disregard the rest.
For example– I have really suffered, attending Masses by such wayward priests and prelates as Bp. McElroy, and many others. However, I am able to just put them out of my mind, pray, focus on Christ in Holy Communion, and ignore the “flawed human being” (the bishop) giving me Holy Communion.
I think that just ignoring bad clergy, is probably the best one can do. Our very good priests and prelates (like Cardinal Sarah, Pope Benedict, Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., Cardinal Burke, etc.) often have suffered a lot– so we are not alone.
Anon., yes. don’t let the humans come between you and God. Exactly.
President Biden can claim he is a devout Catholic. I do not think that means he defines Catholic teaching. I think most, including non Catholics, know that only the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops can do that.
mike m, see National Catholic Register, April 25th, 2019 for Biden’s defining of Catholic teaching, documented.he stated the the church is unsure and in debate over the humanity and life of the fetus in an interview with Face the Nation. Video clip included in article. This did great harm and I believe that this might be the smoking gun and source for Bishop Naumann’s statement (although i am sure there are probably other drive-by shootings not documented).
Test
I would call on Archbishop Joseph Naumann to rebuke any of his fellow bishops who have openly fawned over Biden’s “Catholicity”, starting with the most egregiously errant bishop, Robert McElroy of San Diego.
SO, no. That would be highly immature.
@ Anonymous – one of so many “Anonymouses” – Immature, you say? What are you talking about? This issue is a matter of life or death for the unborn.
SO, we are living in a time and in a nation where the Congress acts like kindergartners fighting over a shovel in a sandbox and the media acts like a middle school mean girl slumber party.
We need to bring back civil adult conversation.
One of the precepts is that you address the disagreement not the person whom you disagree with.
We don’t need infighting and disrespect.
A Catholic can be devout but also not be faithful. Having ‘deep religious feeling” or even a love for Catholicism or the Church is not all that is necessary.
I have long wanted the bishops to develop an examination of conscience that is thorough.
We have a coherent teaching: “Thou shalt not Kill.” Everybody knows it. But like everything, people want to excuse themselves for not obeying it. We need a strong statement against murder, suicide, abortion. We need a strong reminder that sin is punished, even sin that is forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There is a hell, etc…
Now, I am ranting…sorry.
“A Catholic can be devout but also not be faithful.”
I don’t think so.
Devout means having a deep religious feeling.
Faithful means remaining loyal and steadfast.
“Devout means having a deep religious feeling.
Faithful means remaining loyal and steadfast.”
How can you have a deep religious feeling but reject God (I assume this religious feeling is love of God) made in the image and likeness of all those aborted babies? A religious feeling might be an evil feeling to a confused person who calls good evil and evil good.
Faith means you are mature and steadfast, faithful to Christ, regardless of how you are “feeling.” It has to do with maturity. Have you ever seen a priest or prelate who is a criminal pedophile, give a heartfelt sernon on his deep love for Jesus? I have, many times– and didn’t know they were “wolves in sheep’s clothing”– until they got caught by the police! Isn’t that horrible?? Anyone can claim deep religious devotion– televangelists do it all the time! Biden does it for political reasons, to get votes.
Ronnie, I grew up with the Baltimore Catechism. Abortion is not in there. I read the Bible. Abortion is not in there. It can take a while to understand issues in the Church. It took me a long time to understand the immorality of abortion. I actually understood the immorality of using contraception before I understood the teaching on abortion. Some stumbling blocks were things said by other Catholics, mean pro-life organizations and individuals, my own feelings toward life (I did not value my own life or being alive), I did not know what level of submission the teaching on abortion required. The things I was reading were from before Vatican II and did not contain that.
But I went to Mass, took Communion and had no idea that I should not. I fasted from midnight until after Mass (not just one hour). On Fridays I refrained from eating meat and sometimes I took only bread and water, I did Eucharistic adoration and reparation, monthly Confession, prayed the Rosary, read the Bible, read about the Saints and about the Church, volunteered at Church, actually worked in a ministry which welcomed fallen away Catholics back to the Church. I was devout. I was trying to be entirely faithful but I did not know that I wasn’t. I obeyed the Baltimore Catechism. I obeyed the books on the Saints. I obeyed the Bible as well as I could. You see all of these were written before Rob v. Wade. Abortion was not mentioned in any of them. I do not know when my understanding changed. All of a sudden, I got it. Now I am unconditionally pro-life.
State exactly how Bishop McCelroy is errant. Give verse and chapter please.
Wait just a minute. Does this mean this we shouldn’t be getting our “Catholic moral teaching” from Biden and Pelosi? Who knew?
Archbishop Naumann is correct. President Biden cannot advertise himself both as a “devout Catholic” and an abortion provider. As shown by their past votes and statements, the vast majority of USCCB bishops agree with Archbishop Naumann. Apparently the Vatican does not. Its spokesmen use fuzzy words to justify Biden’s mutually-exclusive claims. Further, the Vatican appears to undermine most USA Catholic bishops through “moles” like Cardinal Cupich who scurry to Rome to undo USCCB’s defense of doctrine. Mind you, the bishops didn’t elect Cupich to any office, never mind as their direct pipeline to Rome. His views find little acceptance in the USCCB. How tipsy-turvy things have become! The majority of bishops stoutly defend doctrine while one Cardinal, who represents a small minority, undermines their efforts.
Under this scenario, what right does an overseas power—even the Vatican—have to stick its nose into our domestic affairs and oppose the majority of American bishops? Remind them that Americans reject the disgraceful Argentinian model of polity.
Biden is a practicing Catholic. He does not claim to be perfect as did the previous demigod who was president. The Bishops can confront Biden about his stance on abortion after they confront the sexual and financial scandals they have allowed in the Church.
When did we have a demigod as president?
As far as I know, all have been fallen human men, and only two have claimed to be Catholic.
The first refused to even consider any laws making abortion more widely available. The current one is expanding it, until birth, around the globe and we all have to pay for that atrocity.
How hard is Mr. Biden trying to practice his faith?
Or, maybe the problem is that he is practicing his faith and not the one given to us by Christ. He is our Catholic brother and we need to start by dealing with those in our own house first.
And, you’re right, that includes sexual and financial scandals perpetrated or allowed by the hierarchy. But, the bishops don’t need to wait. We’re Catholics and know that many things are not either this or that (Word or Sacrament, to name only one example), but, rather both this and that. The bishops can charitably and truthfully deal with Mr. Biden’s public scandal and clean up their dioceses at the same time.
“Biden is a practicing Catholic.” Utter nonsense.
When did Trump claim to be perfect?
Omg Trump claimed to be perfect all the time. Perhaps you weren’t listening?
NO– Biden is certainly NOT a “devout practicing Catholic!” He claims that in political speeches, to get votes! He is actually– a very bad, dishonest, immoral, heretical “Catholic”– who disagrees with Church teaching!
“He does not claim to be perfect as did the previous demigod who was president”….
Another democrat commentator who makes wildly exaggerated claims about Trump and does not know truth.
Sorry, Media, Trump is gone! what will youuuu dooo! No more Media creations of evil wicked Trump. Oh, how sad..,
No longer able to manufacture tales and target their favorite villain. OH, how difficult and sad for the media….
But, now the Media has this marvelous great President, JOE! OH how wonderful!! Get those puffball stories ready!!…
The subject at hand is thus, no longer Trump. It is JOE! He is the president, now.
Joe should not be claiming he is a devout Catholic!! NO!! Period!! End of Discussion!
For the Media to say Joe is devout, is to state that Joe is following Catholic Doctrine exactly.
NO, He isn’t!!
And the Devil can cite Scripture for his own purposes. Good grief, people are so confused. I agree on one thing though, the Bishops will never admit that the sexual scandal was a homosexual sex abuse scandal.
In fact Mr. Biden has no relationship at the present time with the Catholic faith by canon law he self excommunicated himself years ago
In an interview the thrice-married Trump claimed he did not need to ask God for forgiveness because he had done nothing wrong.
And you can judge his heart George. When was this interview and was it edited by the fake news?
George et. al. Trump was voted out of office last November. The News Media, and you, George, seem oblivious of that fact. Trump is gone. He no longer the President of the United States. Every night, for week after week, we hear the name “Trump” over and over, repeated by the Media, and how evil and wicked Trump is, and why he is so wrong. So Media. and George, Trump is not there making decisions any more. Got that? Why is that so hard for the Media to get this – their minds are set in concrete, and can’t seem to let go, much like a rabid dog grabbing on to a pants leg. Yes Media, it’s tough letting go of your whipping boy, but that’s how it is.
So, the Media should be examining the new president, and since you can’t remember his name, it is: Ta da. Joe Biden.
OH…now the media is so crestfallen – why, they can’t write a single criticism of this new Democratic president, so, what’s left for the Media, why, only,
let’s get back to Trump and how evil and wicked he is. That’s the best and only news, we in the Media can report….yeahhhh.
That’s debatable considering the massive voter fraud.
What is wrong with these Bishops who support a devout Catholic President. When some of these Bishops support gay marriage in defiance church teachings. We must pray for these Bishops. Also a devout Catholic President who nominates pro-abortion and pro euthanasia Becerra for Secretary of HHS. Wake up Bishops
You are the teacher within your flock and the flock is being dispersed
I have never seen any bishop support gay marriage.
Look in Germany. They’re not as circumspect as American lefty bishops are. Any bishop in the US who refuses to fire gay married Catholic church employees supports gay marriage. That includes Archbishop Gomez, who has gay married chancery employees. They say one thing but do another.
Yes, Anonymous– they do say one thing and do another– all the time. Hypocrites. Almost every U.S. Diocese has had problems with Church leaders allowing paid LGBT Church employees to form gay unions. And it’s not wonderful to see them in various parish leadership positions. Cdl. Levada (deceased) and Abp. Quinn (deceased) allowed this evil– and Levada publicly praised and had friendships with very, very “naughty” paid LGBT parish leaders-with- gay lovers, in his employment. And their SF Catholic Charities director (now retired) Brian Cahill, has always publicly denounced Catholic teaching, and supported gay “marriage.” (He has a gay son.) Now he lives on a big Church retirement salary. No use to complain.
Most prelates who have served in S.F. Archdiocese, have either supported all the liberal causes, like Bp. McGrath or Abp. Wester– or else have worked passionately. as clerical leaders for such causes, like Bp. McElroy.
Anonymous, there are a great many U.S. bishops who support same-sex unions, and some who also may support gay “marriage.” Even the Pope said he supports gay civil unions– remember? Here are a few: Bp. McElroy (San Diego), Cdl. Mahony (Los Angeles), Bp. McGrath (ret. San Jose), Abp. Wester (Santa Fe), Cdl. Bernardin (Chicago– deceased), Cdl. Cupich (Chicago),
Bp. Francis Quinn (Sacramento– deceased), Cdl. Joseph Tobin (Newark, NJ), Bp. Cummins (ret.– Oakland)– that’s a start! Remember the time when SF Abp. Niederauer (deceased) offered Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church, in the Castro district– and was filmed giving Communion to the awful “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence??” A nightmare.
But you do agree that no bishop has publicly supported gay marriage, right?
How much of this do you have personal knowledge of?
I remember that Archbishop Niederauer responded to the outrage at his giving the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence communion by saying that he did not know who they were. He did notice some communicants were dressed funny.
The Pope has said no to gay marriage.
If you have quotes from these bishops, please present them.
i see quotes opposing gay marriage online.
Anonymous, these big Church leaders are in the news all the time. Read, see for yourself. And there are many books on the subject– one of them is “Good-Bye, Good Men” by Michael S. Rose. Read all you can. Books and Catholic news investigation stories– Philip Lawler, Richard Sipe, many good Church clerics, many good Catholic online and paper publications… just read. Did you read the SF Chronicle articles by Brian Cahill, now-retired SF Catholic Charities Director, denouncing Church teaching on Marriage, promoting Gay “Marriage?” Did you see that Pope Francis endorsed gay civil unions? This is all called: Hypocrisy. Sin. These top clerics may appear to support Catholic teaching– but in real life– they do not. Hypocrisy. So hard to raise kids in today’s Catholic parishes and schools, because of these evils. Untrustworthy.
Sorry, Anonymous– the Pope has no business publicly endorsing same sex unions of any kind! And Abp. Niederauer had no business giving the anti-Catholic, mocking, hateful, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence sacriligious Holy Communion– nor Nancy Pelosi! Hypocrisy.
Most prelates who have served in S.F. Archdiocese, have either supported all the liberal causes, like Bp. McGrath or Abp. Wester– or else have worked passionately. as clerical leaders for such causes, like Bp. McElroy.
“The sacrament of marriage is based on the faithful relationship between man and woman, which is open to children.” Germany’s Cardinal Marx. He did, to your point, raise the possibility of a gay couple receiving a blessing, but not a marriage like relationship.
So no, they did not support gay marriage. I see your point though.
On the gay married employees, it is not the same thing as supporting gay marriage but it is troubling. If the employee is Catholic and in any civil marriage, that gives me pause. Having someone committing and committed to mortal sin is a problem especially if they are in a position of advising others or making decisions.
How can you bless a sodomite union?
Anonymous Feb 25 @ 4:16
I think you missed this”: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/top-10-pro-life-bible-verses
Also: https://www.priestsforlife.org/library/1238-excerpts-from-the-catechism-of-the-catholic-church-on-life
I’m glad you’re searching and are now unconditionally pro-life.
Part of the problem probably stemmed from being in public school and being assigned the debate topic supporting legalization of abortion. (This was before the Supreme Court ruling) Middle school. I had never even heard of abortion before that..
It may have been the publication of the CCC that made the difference. I just never was able to pinpoint the moment of change. I think it happened before “The Gospel of Life.”
Thank you for your support.