President Biden sparked outrage on Tuesday by making the sign of the cross during a rally against abortion regulations.
Biden was ostensibly pious in Tampa, where Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried complained about Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s tightening of the state’s six-week abortion ban.
“We came back here to the state of Florida, where Ron DeSantis felt he needed to run for president, and 15 weeks wasn’t enough,” Fried said. “We had to go for six weeks.”
Bishop: Biden “doesn’t understand the Catholic faith”: “I’m not mad at him, he’s just stupid”
President Joe Biden speaks at a reproductive freedom event at Hillsboro Community College on April 23, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Biden announced his administration’s opposition to Florida’s six-week abortion ban signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which is scheduled to take effect May 1. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As Fried spoke, Biden made the traditional cross gesture by touching his forehead, chest and shoulder.
The sign of the cross is an ancient expression of piety that has existed since at least the third century and is commonly used as a form of blessing in the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Brian Birch, president of Catholic Vote, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that “Biden’s use of the sign of the cross to support abortion is a sign that all Christians, especially Biden, claim it as his own.” “It’s an abhorrent insult to Catholics.”
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President Joe Biden gestures while speaking at a reproductive freedom event at Hillsboro Community College on April 23, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Biden announced his administration’s opposition to Florida’s six-week abortion ban signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which is scheduled to take effect May 1. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)
He added, “The sign of the cross is a sacred gesture that believers use to bless them, ask for forgiveness, and protect them from temptation. Instead, Biden has decided to abort this ancient Christian practice. “It has turned into support for extremism,” he added.
Mr. Biden has emphasized his Catholic identity during his presidential campaign, claiming to be a devout believer despite his blatant disregard for the church’s inalienable teachings.
Last week, a Michigan bishop called Biden “stupid” for the mismatch between religion and politics.
“I’m not angry at the president. I feel sorry for him. I’m not angry. He’s just stupid,” Bishop Robert Gruss of the Saginaw Diocese said. “That’s not stupidity in the pejorative sense, but stupidity in the following sense.” […] He does not understand the Catholic faith. ”
President Joe Biden speaks at a reproductive freedom event at Hillsboro Community College on April 23, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Biden announced his administration’s opposition to Florida’s six-week abortion ban signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which is scheduled to take effect May 1. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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“Regardless of our position on abortion, Catholics cannot support this grotesque abuse of our religious beliefs,” Birch told Fox News Digital about Biden’s sign of the cross. “Voters of faith need to wake up and understand what is at stake this November.”
He added: “A new abortion religion is on the ballot that seeks to ridicule and ultimately destroy Christianity.”
Fox News Digital asked Bishop Gregory Parks of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, the Catholic Church’s geographic region that covers Tampa, for comment on the president’s abortion rally.
“Bishop Gregory Parks has consistently taught the Catholic Church’s position on abortion,” a spokesperson for the diocese told Fox News Digital. “Bishop Parks and Bishop Florida also recently released a statement educating people about the Catholic Church’s teachings on abortion and why they should vote against the Fourth Amendment.”
Amendment 4, proposed by pro-choice groups in Florida earlier this year, would state that “no law shall impose any law, in the judgment of the patient’s health care provider, on the patient’s health prior to viability or as necessary to protect the patient’s health.” “Abortion shall not be prohibited, penalized, delayed or restricted in any case.” ”
“We urge all Floridians of goodwill to oppose the legalization of late-term abortions and oppose the Abortion Amendment,” the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said this month. It’s not just about protecting the world,” he said in a statement. And not only are we leaving human lives vulnerable, but countless women across the state are also being spared the harm of abortion. ”
