By Gabriella Borter

(Reuters] – The U.S. Roman Catholic Bishops are set to reconsider whether President Joe Biden’s support for abortion rights should bar him from communion. This is an issue which has exacerbated rifts among the Catholic Churches since Biden became president.

The Baltimore bishops will vote on a clarification document regarding Holy Communion. This is a central sacrament of the faith, and they are expected to do so at a conference from November 15-18. After the June bishops conference in Baltimore, where they deliberated whether they should take a position regarding the eligibility of well-known Catholics like Biden (whose actions contradict Catholic teaching) to receive communion, the committee created the document.

Biden is the first Catholic president after John F. Kennedy. He has stated that he opposes abortion, but supports women’s rights to make their own decisions. In the face of more restrictive laws being enacted in states, Biden pledged to preserve abortion rights. Last month his administration asked the Supreme Court not to stop a Texas law which bans abortions for six weeks.

It has caused division in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This has led to more conservative Catholics being opposed to those who agree with the president’s positions. A Pew Research poll conducted in April found that 55% of Catholics think abortion should not be illegal in any or most cases. That compares with 59% of the population.

Further discord has been created as the church attempts to maintain a fractured congregation. A Gallup poll found that nearly 20% of U.S. Catholics had left the church within the past 20 years. The reason for this is sexual abuse scandals surrounding predatory priests, and members having a tendency to disagree on social issues.

Biden spoke privately to Pope Francis last month at the Vatican and stated that he had been told by the pope that he is a good Catholic who can receive communion.

Pope Francis criticised the U.S. bishops prior to the meeting for dealing with the topic in a political, rather than pastoral, manner.

“Communion does not award a reward for being perfect. The pope stated that Communion was a gift from Jesus Christ and the Church, and added that the bishops must show compassion and tenderness to Catholic politicians who are against abortion rights.

DOCUMENT

In June’s virtual meeting, bishops agreed to create a document about the meaning and purpose of communion. Then they debated whether it should be clear how to define the eligibility criteria for receiving the sacrament. Some conservative bishops claimed that the conference was bound to criticize politicians like Biden, who they claim have violated church teachings. They also demanded a more strict standard of eligibility. Others warned against making the Eucharist into a political weapon.

At a September roundtable discussion, Bishop Kevin Rhoades (chairman of the Conference’s Committee on Doctrine) described the document and said it would remind Catholics about the significance of the Sacrament. It was not clear if it would specify who is worthy to receive communion.

The Catholic newsletter The Pillar published a draft earlier in the month. It does not name Biden, but it states that those who have some level of authority are responsible for the church’s incarnation. The document states that Catholics living in “mortal sin,” without repentance, should not be allowed to receive communion. However it does not specify who is responsible for judging.

The conference released a 2004 statement in which it stated that individual bishops had the power to decide whether or not to grant communion to Catholic politicians supporting abortion rights.

The conference spokesperson declined to comment about whether The Pillar’s draft was identical to the one that bishops were to consider and perhaps amend.

John Carr, who is co-director at Georgetown University of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thoughtt and Public Life, stated that the Pillar draft succeeds in delivering a wider message about Eucharist to Catholics without attacking Biden and other politicians.

Carr stated that Carr believes the language will be approved by the bishops.

“Others are relieved that they were able to transcend this division, diversion.”