Biden begins European trip with private meeting with Pope Francis: ‘It’s good to be back’
Debate over abortion, communion in the spotlight for Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis
Biden’s one-on-one meeting with Pope Francis, which started shortly after his arrival and lasted nearly 90 minutes, was held out of public view. The Vatican closed the meeting to the press, barring the TV cameras that typically are allowed in at the top of such meetings.
The Vatican said it canceled the planned live broadcast of the beginning of the meeting because of the coronavirus.
The White House has said the topics the leaders planned to discuss include their shared concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the poor.
But much attention has been put on whether the leaders will discuss an issue on which they disagree – Biden’s support for abortion rights.
One of the agenda items for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops when it convenes in Baltimore in mid-November is whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be admonished for receiving Holy Communion.
In July, the bishops overwhelmingly approved the drafting of a “teaching document” that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians for receiving communion despite their support for abortion rights. Though any document is unlikely to mention Biden by name, its passage would be a clear admonition of the U.S. president.
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The meeting between the president and the pontiff comes amid a push by conservative bishops in the U.S. to keep politicians who support abortion rights from receiving communion.
Analysts said it was doubtful that Francis would challenge Biden’s support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage during their meeting but would instead focus on issues where they could find common ground.
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