Biden: Not a Fan of Abortion as a Catholic

President Joe Biden, a self-proclaimed “practicing Catholic,” expressed his views on abortion during a recent fundraiser. While he stated that he is “not big on abortion,” he also defended the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, saying that it got it right. These remarks echo similar comments he made at an event with abortion advocate groups. Biden believes that Congress should restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, which were overturned by the Supreme Court last year.

However, Biden has faced criticism from advocate groups for his avoidance of the topic and his assertion that only Congress can restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. Despite this, Biden’s stance aligns with the teachings of the Catholic Church, which emphasizes the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely.” The Church considers formal cooperation in an abortion to be a grave offense, punishable by excommunication.

Catholic Leadership on Abortion

Biden, as the second Catholic U.S. president after John F. Kennedy, is not alone in his views on abortion. Pope Francis has referred to abortion as murder but disagrees with denying communion to those who have had or support abortions. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops shares a similar perspective. The Pontifical Academy for Life, the Vatican’s bioethics institute, has called for open and non-ideological discussions on the protection of life in civil society.

A 2022 Pew Research poll revealed that American Catholics have mixed opinions on abortion, with 76 percent believing it should be legal in some cases. However, Catholics who attend Mass weekly are less likely to support legal abortion compared to those who attend less frequently.