Pope Francis on Joe Biden

Pope Francis has publicly addressed the apparent contradiction between Joe Biden's Catholic faith and his support for legal abortion, characterizing it as an "incoherence." In interviews, the Pontiff stated that abortion is the elimination of a human life, affirming that DNA is present a month after conception. Francis explicitly noted this internal conflict in Biden's stance, suggesting the President should discuss the matter with his own pastor or bishop.

Simultaneously, Pope Francis has advised the American Catholic hierarchy against politicizing communion debates surrounding Biden and other pro-choice politicians. He stressed that Catholic bishops must minister with “compassion and tenderness,” rather than condemnation, warning that departing from pastoral care turns a bishop into a politician. The Pope reiterated that abortion is “murder” but appeared to criticize U.S. bishops for potentially treating the issue politically rather than pastorally.

Beyond these doctrinal disagreements, there is evidence of a personal and warmer relationship between Pope Francis and Joe Biden, which predates Biden's presidency. Biden reported that during a private meeting, Pope Francis told him he was a “good Catholic” and should continue to receive Communion. This meeting, which lasted an unusually long 90 minutes in 2021, also included discussions on shared concerns like climate change and poverty, while the topic of abortion was reportedly not raised by Biden at that time.

Their connection includes a significant personal element, as Pope Francis counseled the Biden family following the death of Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, in 2015. This shared experience of grief contributes to what some observers describe as a deeper, more pastoral connection between the two figures compared to Biden's interactions with previous pontiffs.