As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) debates whether or not President Joe Biden should be barred from receiving Holy Communion, a new poll from CatholicVote shows that roughly three-quarters of Catholics agree that pro-abortion politicians should not be allowed to receive Holy Communion.
“Catholic politicians who advocate for policies considered ‘gravely immoral’ create confusion and discord among believers,” CatholicVote President Brian Burch said in a statement. “Catholics’ concern about the flouting of Catholic social teaching by public leaders is less about politics and more about the integrity of the faith, along with reverence and respect due the Holy Eucharist.”
“This polling data should bolster the confidence of Catholic bishops as they prepare to discuss how to recover an understanding of the beauty and richness of the sacrament – among all Catholics,” he added. “The data is very clear: Bishops have an obligation to act.”
As CatholicVote noted, the poll comes “just days before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Spring General Assembly where they are expected to discuss a proposal to create a teaching document on ‘eucharistic coherence.’”
“Part of that discussion is expected to include whether Catholic politicians who support abortion and other substantive policies contrary to Catholic teaching should receive communion,” reported the outlet. “It also comes as President Joe Biden, who openly advocates for unlimited abortion at taxpayers’ expense, visits Pope Francis at the Vatican. Seventy-two percent of Catholics in the pews surveyed agreed that this discussion among the bishops should take place.”
Though reports indicate that the Vatican has privately urged the bishops to withhold on discussing the topic of Holy Communion for Joe Biden, USCCB President Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles said that the discussion will proceed. Earlier this week, sources close to the Vatican told Catholic News Agency (CNA) that a scheduled morning Mass between President Joe Biden and Pope Francis was reportedly nixed from the two leaders’ June 15 meeting.
“President Biden, who is in Europe for several high level meetings, is taking off the morning of June 15 to meet Pope Francis as President of the United States for the first time,” reported CNA. “The President’s entourage had originally requested for Biden to attend Mass with the Pope early in the morning, but the proposal was nixed by the Vatican after considering the impact that President Biden receiving Holy Communion from the Pope would have on the discussions the USCCB is planning to have during their meeting starting Wednesday, June 16. The US Bishops are slated to vote on creating a committee that would draft a document about Eucharistic Coherence.”
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, abortion is a grave moral evil that cannot be approved or tolerated in any circumstance. In 2019, a Catholic priest in South Carolina reportedly enforced the church’s code of canon law by denying the then-former vice president the sacrament of Holy Communion because of 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.”
Related: REPORT: Morning Mass Nixed From Joe Biden’s Upcoming Meeting With Pope Francis