HOLY POLITICS

U.S. Catholic Bishops Opt Not to Target Politicians Over Communion

The move comes after the Vatican warned against wading into the complex issue.

U.S. bishops opted not to target specific politicians regarding their stance on abortion as it relates to Communion, according to a document prepared during the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. The document, the first in more than 15 years to define the meaning of Communion, instead notes the “special responsibility” of notable Catholic figures to uphold the church’s “faith and moral law” while they remain in the public eye. The vote passed with 222 in favor, eight opposed, and three abstaining. The document was subject to heated debate over the last year as bishops discussed whether pro-choice Catholic politicians such as President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should partake in Communion. The vote follows a warning from the Vatican over the summer against targeting the president and remarks from Biden that Pope Francis approved of him receiving the church’s sacrament.