Philadelphia's retired archbishop says Biden should be denied communion over his abortion stance
Chaput, who led
Whether Biden, who supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights, should receive communion came up at a convening of the nation's bishops last month. At that meeting, the head of the
Since then, newly appointed Cardinal
It's not the first time the topic of Biden and communion has come up. Biden, who grew up in an Irish Catholic family in
When Biden ran for president in 2008, Malooly told the diocesan newspaper, "I do not intend to get drawn into partisan politics nor do I intend to politicize the Eucharist as a way of communicating
Chaput, an outspoken conservative member of the church, criticized bishops for speaking out in support of giving Biden communion.
"When bishops publicly announce their willingness to give Communion to
"The reason is obvious," he added. "By his actions during the course of his public life,
Catholics are taught to receive communion only if they are in good standing and without sin, but a more specific rule instructing pastors to refuse communion to politicians who support abortion rights was added to canon law in 2004, Chaput wrote.
The debate over Biden and communion reflects a larger political divide in the church. It also shows how the questions Catholic Democratic politicians face have shifted. While
Catholic voters are registered evenly between the Democratic and Republican parties and split the presidential vote nationally. While
In
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