Biden denied communion in SC
Action highlights faith-politics conflict
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Roman Catholic priest’s denial of communion to Joe Biden in South Carolina on Sunday illustrates the fine line presidential candidates must walk as they talk about their faiths: balancing religious values with a campaign that asks them to choose a side in polarizing moral debates.
The awkward moment for Biden came during a weekend campaign swing through South Carolina, a pivotal firewall in his hopes to claim the Democratic presidential nomination. The former vice president on Sunday visited St. Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, a midsize city in the state’s largely rural northeast. As he frequently does on the trail, Biden — a lifelong Catholic — made a stop at a local parish, attending services without the press before stopping at other churches with reporters.
But the Rev. Robert Morey at St. Anthony opted not to serve communion to Biden. The priest said in a statement to media outlets that his decision was based on Biden’s support of abortion rights, something Morey said the church cannot condone by way of sacrament.
The episode recalled the divisive debate that erupted in 2004, when then-senator and future Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry grappled with public warnings from several Catholic officials that abortion rights supporters should not receive communion. As Biden joins other candidates in making his faith a key element of his pitch to 2020 voters, Morey’s communion denial raises questions about whether other Democrats might face similar tests of their ability to balance personal beliefs and their public stances on key issues.
Biden’s campaign has declined to comment on the situation.