Watch: Biden Looks Like a Deer in Headlights When Confronted with Possibility of Communion Ban
President Joe Biden’s handlers make every attempt to carefully curate the questions he has to face. But on Friday, it appeared they failed to prepare him for a question about Communion.
During a news conference, a reporter asked Biden about the possibility he could be denied Communion, as well as whether he was concerned about the growing “rift within the Catholic church” as a result. He appeared visibly confused and helpless as he asked her to repeat the question.
As soon as he heard the question clearly, Biden dismissed it as a “private matter” he did not believe would really happen.
Biden looked like a deer in the headlights just now as a reporter asked for his thoughts on U.S Catholic bishops taking steps toward possible rebuke of him due to his conflicting actions on abortion:
“That’s a private matter and I don’t think that’s going to happen.” pic.twitter.com/xa84y97GwB
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 18, 2021
Biden should have been prepared for this question as reports around the possibility of his being denied Communion have been circulating in recent months and again this week.
America reported on Wednesday that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was set to begin debate on whether to draft guidance on receiving Holy Communion, especially when it comes to pro-abortion politicians receiving the sacrament. Biden has been an outspoken proponent of abortion, so he would certainly fall into this category.
On Friday, the measure was approved, with 73 percent of the bishops voting in favor of the document, according to The New York Times.
Given the impending vote, as well as the fact Biden has continuously identified himself as a Catholic yet supports something directly against the teachings of the church, the question should not have come as a surprise.
Biden made no bones about his Catholic faith on the campaign trail, and Biblical teaching makes it extremely clear that abortion is a serious evil.
But it turns out that when you advocate for the killing of unborn babies, some people begin to question your religious standards.
A survey by CatholicVote of 600 everyday Catholics during the first week of June 2021 found 84 percent of respondents felt it was hypocritical for a politician to campaign on the platform of religion and then “advocate for policies completely contrary to their faith.”
Nonetheless, Biden appeared to have absolutely no idea what the reporter was talking about. It seemed as if he had never heard there was a possibility he could be denied Communion.
It’s unclear whether Biden was in denial, or if he was genuinely confused about a relatively straightforward question. In any case, the optics of the situation do not help quell concerns that Biden is mentally incompetent and unfit to lead the country.
On Thursday, former White House physician and current Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas sent a letter to Biden signed by 13 other Republicans urging the president to take a cognitive test. Jackson has extensive experience as a physician and served in the White House under former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“Just everything that has been going on for the last year and a half … [Biden] doesn’t know what’s going on, where he’s at,” Jackson told The Hill. “He’s very confused all the time.”
Biden is not the only Democrat who has come under fire for being a Catholic who supports abortion. In May, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said he believes pro-abortion politicians should not receive Communion, Crux reported.
“Please stop the killing,” he said. “This is killing innocent human life. You have a very prominent position in society. You can influence societal attitudes and practices. You’re in a position to stop the killing.”
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another abortion advocate who is Catholic, was asked how she felt after Cordileone’s and other bishops’ comments on the matter. She replied that she can make her “own judgement” when it comes to receiving Communion regardless of the fact she is violating Biblical commands.
Heretical as her response may be, at least she answered with more confidence than Biden.
Biden’s claim that his participation in Communion is a “private matter” is also a cop-out. While 1 Corinthians 11 does tell believers to “examine themselves” presumably privately, Biden opens himself up to public condemnation by advocating for grave sins like abortion.
Cordileone also made it clear he was not permanently condemning pro-abortion politicians, but rather encouraging them to repent of their sinful ways.
“Please recognize the evil for what it is,” he said, according to Crux. “Please have a change of heart and come back to the fullest of your Catholic faith. We await you with open arms to welcome you back.”
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