Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., on Sunday accused President Biden of being a “cafeteria Catholic” who chooses what he wants to believe in, including abortion rights.
Biden, 81, the second Catholic to be elected president, said he personally opposes abortion but supports efforts to keep the procedure legal.
“I think he’s very sincere about his faith. But like many Catholics, he chooses aspects of his faith to emphasize while ignoring or contradicting others. I’m choosing,” Gregory, the country’s first black cardinal, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“There’s a term we’ve used in the past called ‘cafeteria Catholicism’: choose what’s appealing and ignore what’s challenging,” said a senior church official.
Biden supports the right to terminate a pregnancy, but has ceded most of the spotlight on the issue to Vice President Kamala Harris, who has embarked on a “reproductive freedoms tour.”
Harris is a Baptist. First lady Jill Biden has joined Harris in some of the efforts to push for abortion rights.
Gregory implied that when talking about “cafeteria Catholics,” the first issue that comes to mind is abortion.
“There are times, especially when it comes to life issues, that he chooses to ignore or use the status quo as a political pawn,” Gregory said of Biden.
Mr. Biden admitted it publicly “I’m not big on abortion.
“I’m a devout Catholic. I don’t want abortion on demand, but I thought Roe v. Wade was right,” Biden said. spoke to supporters at a fundraiser. last month.
Gregory suggested that the pope may have expressed similar complaints about abortion to the president before. Biden met with Pope Francis during his first year as president.
“I would not be surprised at all if Pope Francis had the opportunity to speak directly with the president on this matter,” the cardinal said.
“One of the things that I think Pope Francis does very well is getting people involved.”
Biden has at times run afoul of progressives by not being more proactive on abortion rights, and at times has bowed to pressure.
For example, during the last presidential campaign, Biden was pressured to reverse his claims. Years of support Supporter of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion procedures.
Biden repeatedly mentioned abortion in his State of the Union address, emphasizing the need for “egg recovery,” among other issues, but never mentioned it. I actually used the word “abortion.”
Other prominent Catholic Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), have faced similar criticism over their positions on abortion.
One of the issues related to the Catholic teachings that Mr. Biden has adhered to is his opposition to the death penalty. The government took little action On that front.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment Sunday.
