Joe Biden was reportedly denied Communion at a Holy Mass as he attended the hour-long service at the Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Florence on Sunday. As he stepped to receive the Communion, Rev. Fr. Robert E. Morey, denied it to him citing his stance on abortion, reported local newspaper South Carolina Morning.
Rev. Fr. Robert E. Morey said in a statement that any public figure who advocates for abortion despite being a Catholic, places himself outside of the Church's teachings. "Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching."
"Sadly, this past Sunday, I had to refuse Holy Communion to former Vice President Joe Biden," Fr. Morey told the newspaper in a statement. He ended his stance by saying, "I will keep Mr. Biden in my prayers." Joe Biden is a lifelong Catholic who attends Mass regularly. The Biden campaign did not return a request from media outlets to comment about the issue and has been low key with the issue. Joe Biden has had a conservative stance on abortion previously and this year during his presidential bid, he announced his opposition to abortion, which is not approved by the Catholic Church.
Biden said he opposes the Hyde Amendment, which is on abortion, in June, after days of Democratic backlash after saying he did support the amendment. During a speech in June, Joe Biden said, "If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's zip code."
The former Vice President, Joe Biden is currently the Democratic front-runner for the presidential bid and each and every word of his is being scrutinized by the media and public. The presidential election is one year away and if nominated, he will face President Donald Trump at the polls on November 3, 2020. It would be an election to remember, just like the 2016 elections where Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in a electoral college landslide.
