There appears to be a growing rift between US President Joe Biden and the Catholic church in the US due to Biden’s stance on abortion. The US bishops are set to revisit the debate on whether they could weaponize the sacrament of communion against Biden and other lawmakers who support abortion.
Reuters reports that the US Roman Catholic Bishops are set to return to a debate regarding the issue in a conference from November 15 to November 18 in Baltimore, Maryland. They are set to vote on a document clarifying the meaning of Holy Communion following the highly-criticized decision of its members to deny Biden communion. Biden is the second Catholic US President after John F. Kennedy.
A committee drafted the document following the bishops’ conference in June, as they cited that Biden’s political stance contradicts with church teachings. Biden said he personally opposes abortion but supports a woman’s right to choose. Biden has also vowed to protect women’s rights as Republican-led states are set to enact laws that would place restrictions on women’s reproductive rights.
Biden’s DOJ has called on the Supreme Court to block a law in Texas that would practically criminalize abortion after six weeks. Most women do not realize they are pregnant until six weeks later.
The issue of abortion has led to division among Roman Catholic bishops in the US, with some in favor of Biden’s views, while others, who have considered denying Biden communion, have opposed. The Vatican and Pope Francis himself have warned the US bishops against making such a stance, criticizing them for dealing with the issue in a political rather than a pastoral manner.
In other related news, Biden has unveiled five new initiatives aimed to help the Native American community this week as the White House kicks off its first Tribal Nations Summit. It marks five years since the last conference, hosted by Barack Obama’s White House in 2016. First lady Dr. Jill Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland were present to give remarks.
Following his remarks, Biden signed an executive order to strengthen public safety for Native Americans. The US leader noted that his American Rescue Plan allocated $31 billion to Tribal nations, along with over $13 billion in investments to Indian Country that includes benefits like clean drinking water and expanded high-speed internet access.