Abortion in the United States: Joe Biden soon deprived of communion by the Catholic bishops?

US President Joe Biden visited St. Joseph's on the Brandywine Church on June 19, 2021 in Wilmington, Delaware.

AP - Alex Brandon

Text by: RFI Follow

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The American archbishops are considering depriving pro-abortion politicians of communion.

The church is preparing to develop a text on the meaning of this central sacrament in Catholicism.

The conference of Catholic bishops this week voted in this direction by a large majority (168 votes in favor, 55 against).

Among the main concerned, President Joe Biden, yet the second Catholic tenant of the White House after John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

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The conference of American Catholic bishops voted Thursday, June 17 by a large majority to draft a text on "

 the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church

 ". This could result in denying it to policies supporting abortion. The Eucharist, or communion, is an essential rite of the Catholic faith, during which the faithful receive the Host, symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

It is private and I do not think that will happen

 ", replied Friday

Joe Biden

, questioned on this text and its scope.

The American president, who notably supports the historic decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that legalized the right to abortion in 1973, was refused communion because of his positions in 2019, in an American church.

He then recalled having received it from the Pope himself.

The hardening of part of the American Catholic Church

This proposed text is a symbolic gesture.

But it illustrates the hardening of part of the American Catholic Church, according to Jean-Éric Branaa, specialist in the United States and lecturer at the University of Paris 2 Panthéon Assas.

 We realize that this is a question that goes far beyond the case of Joe Biden since this question will be examined in a few months by the Supreme Court,

explains the lecturer at the microphone of

Camille Marigaux

, of the International service of RFI.

In fact, this can be seen as a message that the bishops send directly to the Supreme Court, in which there are six Catholic judges out of nine, to show that if they made the wrong decision, they too could lose the right to receive Communion. So it would be an excommunion from the Supreme Court in the United States. 

"

For Jean-Éric Branaa, it is therefore a very political act, contrary to the precepts of Pope Francis who asked them not to take this position: “ 

They took it by voting three quarters in favor of the exception of this text.

This will be done in the fall.

This position is very surprising and also corresponds to the radicalization of society, with the conservatives who go very far in the efforts to prevent a progressivism which they refuse and which they see inevitable today in their country.

 "

Vatican calls for caution

In May, the Vatican had urged US church authorities to be cautious about possible measures regarding " 

the situation of Catholic officials in favor of the legalization of abortion, euthanasia or other moral prejudice. 

", According to the American Catholic agency CNS.

Each bishop currently decides who can receive Communion in his diocese.

In the British daily

The Guardian

, the bishop Kevin Rhoades at the initiative of this proposed text, considers that it is necessary "to 

accept with a certain rigor that those who persist in being in sin should not receive Holy Communion

 " .

This question on the communion or not of pro-abortion policies must be discussed in the dioceses and the text will be debated at the next bishops' conference in November.

(And with

AFP

To read: United States: attacks are increasing against the right to abortion

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