Pope voices ‘affection’ for U.S. as he meets top envoy
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis expressed his “affection” for the American people as he met at length Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Blinken declined to delve into “domestic politics” when later asked if the two discussed a campaign by U.S. bishops to deny Holy Communion to Roman Catholic politicians like President Biden who support abortion rights.
The meeting in the Apostolic Palace “played out in a cordial atmosphere,” a Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said. The meeting “was, for the pope the occasion to recall his 2015 visit and to express his affection and his attention to the people of the United States.”
Many of the more conservative U.S. bishops have been clamoring for a clear directive from their ranks against giving Communion to U.S. political figures who are Roman Catholics and support women’s right to abortion. Vatican teaching forbids abortion as a grave sin. The campaign pressures Biden, a Catholic who has said that while he personally opposes abortion, he supports abortion rights.
Earlier this month, the U.S. churchmen decided to go ahead and craft a document about Communion. Only a month earlier, Francis’ top official on doctrinal orthodoxy had urged the bishops to think the matter through thoroughly and aim to keep divisions to the minimum.
Blinken declined to wade into the issue when he was asked if he and Francis had discussed the divisive issue. “One of the luxuries of my job is that I don’t do domestic politics,” said Blinken.