As Joe Biden became the first Catholic in 60 years to sit in the White House last week, elements within the Catholic Church expressed disagreement with his policies on abortion which he has already begun to enact. 

Biden: Already Enacting Pro-Abortion Laws But Trying to Hide the Truth

On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, speaking at an executive session f the WHO said that Biden plans to lift the “Mexico City policy” which currently bans NGOs that promote and provide abortions overseas from receiving taxpayer funds. During his campaign, Biden denounced the Hyde Amendment which prohibits taxpayer money from supporting domestic abortion providers, and called for it to be abolished.

At her first press conference on Wednesday evening, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave an unusual response to a question about the president’s intentions for federal abortion policy.

“I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic and somebody who attends church regularly,” Psaki said, avoiding giving a direct answer but implying that Biden objects to abortion on religious grounds.

Cassie Smedile, press secretary for the Republican National Committee, emphasized the ambiguous nature of Psaki’s response.

Jen Psaki spins out of Hyde Amdt. & Mexico City question by saying Pres. Biden is a “devout Catholic”.

Either Pres. Biden is about to be a very pro-Life President or Jen Psaki (and basically everyone else) needs to stop referring to him as a “devout Catholic”…! pic.twitter.com/Tvy9qVvUnW

— Cassie Smedile (@CMSmedile) January 21, 2021

Abigail Marone, a former Press Assistant at the Republican National Committee, was less unsure of the future of abortion under the Biden administration.

Jen Psaki spins out of Hyde Amdt. & Mexico City question by saying Pres. Biden is a “devout Catholic”.

Either Pres. Biden is about to be a very pro-Life President or Jen Psaki (and basically everyone else) needs to stop referring to him as a “devout Catholic”…! pic.twitter.com/Tvy9qVvUnW

— Cassie Smedile (@CMSmedile) January 21, 2021

In fact, Biden is historically undecided on abortion. The Daily Wire reported that in 2019, he expressed support for the Hyde Amendment but in 2019 he flipped on the issue. The Biden/Harris website states that they plan on restoring funding for Planned Parenthood.

Catholic Church Divided 

There are some elements of the Catholic Church who remain, nonetheless, concerned over the subject. Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), expressed concern about the new president in a statement, specifying Biden’s policies concerning abortion and gender issues:

Mr. Biden’s piety and personal story, his moving witness to how his faith has brought him solace in times of darkness and tragedy, his longstanding commitment to the Gospel’s priority for the poor — all of this I find hopeful and inspiring,” Fr. Gomez wrote.

But he also expressed concern for Biden’s policies.

“[A]s pastors, the nation’s bishops are given the duty of proclaiming the Gospel in all its truth and power, in season and out of season, even when that teaching is inconvenient or when the Gospel’s truths run contrary to the directions of the wider society and culture,” Fr. Gomez said. “So, 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. Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences.”

“The continued injustice of abortion remains the ‘preeminent priority,’” Gomez said. “Preeminent does not mean ‘only.’ We have deep concerns about many threats to human life and dignity in our society. But as Pope Francis teaches, we cannot stay silent when nearly a million unborn lives are being cast aside in our country year after year through abortion,” the archbishop continued.

“I am hopeful that the new President and his new administration will work with the church and others of good will. My hope is that we can begin a dialogue to address the complicated cultural and economic factors that are driving abortion and discouraging families.”

In a rare move, Cardinal Blase Cupich and an unnamed Vatican official issued a statement rebuking Fr. Gomez without addressing Biden’s pro-abortion policies. 

“Today, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued an ill-considered statement on the day of President Biden’s inauguration,” Cardinal Cupich said in one of two statements he released today. “Aside from the fact that there is seemingly no precedent for doing so, the statement, critical of President Biden came as a surprise to many bishops, who received it just hours before it was released.”

“The statement was crafted without the involvement of the Administrative Committee, a collegial consultation that is normal course for statements that represent and enjoy the considered endorsement of the American bishops,” the cardinal said in another tweet.

This was not the first time Biden’s faith clashed with his politics. In November, the USCCB issued a warning that despite positioning himself as a devout Catholic, President Joe Biden’s agenda would advance “moral evils” because of his “uncompromising positions on abortion, gender, and religious liberty,” per Pillar Catholic. The Vatican subsequently pushed back against the statement in a statement, calling the USCCB’s stance to be “ill-considered.”.

Many Catholic clergy and laymen have rejected Biden due to his pro-abortion platform.  Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, tweeted in November that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris support “the slaughter of innocents” at any point during pregnancy.

Catholic Presidents

Biden is the first Catholic to sit in the Oval Office since John F. Kennedy was elected in 1961. It is interesting to note that despite being a Democratic icon, Kennedy was pro-life.  JFK appointed Byron White to the Supreme Court who was to write of the dissent in Roe v. Wade. JFK was quoted as saying, “On the question of limiting population: as you know the Japanese have been doing it very vigorously, through abortion, which I think would be repugnant to all Americans.”

In November 2019, a church in South Carolina declined to give the campaigning former vice president communion. The pastor, Robert Morey, cited Biden’s “unrepented, unforgiven sins”, in particular, his advocating for abortion.