American Catholic Bishops Approve Communion Text, Avoid Political Rite Debate

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U.S. Catholic clergy on Wednesday approved a communion document without mentioning whether the central sacrament of faith could be denied to politicians, including President Joe Biden, who support the right to abortion.

The text, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” was overwhelmingly endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at its fall assembly in Baltimore, north of the United States. capital Washington, with 222 votes in favor, eight against and three abstentions.

A proposal for a draft declaration, the final version of which emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist but does not explicitly address the debate on the communion of elected officials, had sparked controversy in the spring.

In May, the Vatican expressed concern over measures targeting Catholic leaders who “take a pro-choice stance on legislation on abortion, euthanasia or other moral evils.”

The USCCB said at the time that the document under preparation was not intended for disciplinary purposes or directed against any individual or group.

The issue of abortion had caused deep divisions within the Catholic hierarchy and in religious society in general in America.

Biden is a devout Catholic who speaks frequently about his faith in public and attends mass most Sundays.

He personally opposes abortion but remains in favor of a woman’s constitutionally guaranteed right to choose the course of her pregnancy.

Last month, the Biden administration filed an appeal with the United States Supreme Court against a law passed in the state of Texas that prohibits most abortions, even in cases of incest or rape.

The president overturned his predecessor Donald Trump’s decision to withhold public funds from abortion rights organizations, and he appointed American gay and transgender people to government positions.

In 2019, during a church service in the United States, Biden was denied communion – the rite in which Catholic worshipers ritually consume bread and wine, blessed by a priest, which symbolize flesh and blood. of Jesus Christ.

Biden met Pope Francis last month at the Vatican, where the pontiff told him he was “happy to be a good Catholic and that I should continue to receive communion,” according to the US leader.

Two in three American Catholics believed the Democratic president should receive Holy Communion, according to a March poll by the Pew Research Center.

cyj-mlm / dw

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