The Washington Post described Joe Biden as a “very Catholic President” who supports abortion, despite Church teaching condemning the practice as a heinous moral evil.
“A rising group of right-wing U.S. Catholic bishops is colliding with a very Catholic president who supports abortion rights,” the Post posted online Thursday, in reference to the drafting of a document by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to clarify the issue of the reception of Holy Communion by public figures who promote abortion.
The Post’s choice of words was curious, to say the least, and seemed to reflect either ignorance regarding perennial Church teaching on abortion or a disingenuous attempt to cast all believing Catholics as right-wing fanatics.
In its official teaching, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person — among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”
Abortion “is gravely contrary to the moral law,” the Catechism declares, and therefore a person who procures an abortion incurs ex-communication from the Church “by the very commission of the offense.”
Saint John Paul II wrote, “direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.”
Attentive social media users were quick to spot the oxymoron of a “very Catholic” president who “supports abortion rights.”
Calling someone who supports abortion rights very Catholic is like saying “a devout Muslim who loves pork,” quipped pro-life champion Lila Rose. “It would be an insult to Muslims & this headline is an insult to Catholics.”
Others wondered aloud why the Washington Post set itself up as the arbiter of what constitutes “very Catholic.”
The U.S. bishops’ letter Faithful Citizenship, a “teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics,” underscores the evil of abortion, suggesting it is not “just another issue” to be weighed against prudential matters such as immigration laws or a carbon tax, but stands out as a singularly egregious moral evil.
“The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed,” the bishops declared in the letter.
In a January 20 statement, USCCB President Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles pointed out the blatant contradiction between Biden’s positions on vital moral issues and his purported Catholic faith.
“I must point out that our new President has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender,” Gomez wrote. “Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences.”
The archbishop’s statement reflected the bishops’ ongoing concern over Biden’s enthusiastic support for Planned Parenthood, his opposition to school choice, his attacks on the Little Sisters of the Poor, his support for gender transition even for minors, his repeal of legislation protecting U.S. taxpayers from financing abortion domestically and abroad, his promotion of same-sex marriage, and other related issues.
President Biden has been on a collision course with the U.S. bishops even before taking office, and his relationship with Church leadership deteriorated even further as he persists in advancing projects antithetical to Catholic belief.
For its part, the Washington Post seems to be intent on disseminating more fake news on Mr. Biden’s purported Catholicity.
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