The Catholic Church in the United States: Majority Bishops Against Unity for Joe Biden

The Catholic Church United States Denies that Politicians are allowed to gain unityWhen they support abortion rights. Now the bishops have voted with a clear majority on the draft of a document – thus clearly positioning themselves: According to this, Catholic politicians, including the president, should Joe Biden, Should be accused of violating support for abortion rights and gaining unity.

Friday’s referendum at the end of a three-day meeting of the American Conference of Catholic Bishops – 168 against 55 was announced.

Supporters said the decision was necessary because of Biden’s recent measures to protect and expand access to abortion. Opponents warned that such a move would portray bishops as a discriminatory force at a time of political divisions across the country.

The final content has not yet been determined

As a result of the vote, the USCCB Doctrine Committee will produce a report on the importance of unity in the life of the Church. The bishops should examine this further in the meeting – probably in November. Part of the document will contain a special instruction for Catholic politicians and other public figures who ignore Church doctrine on abortion and other important doctrinal issues.

Kevin Rhodes, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, as Chairman of the Doctrine Committee Indiana, Said no decision has been taken on the final content of the proposed document. Bishops who are not on the board also have the opportunity to propose changes.

According to Rhodes, Biden or any other person should not be mentioned by name in the document. Rather, Rhodes says, it aims to provide guidance and does not recommend any national policy. This will leave the decision of solidarity to individual bishops and archbishops for some church employees.

Warning from the Vatican

Vatican official Cardinal Luis Lataria wrote a letter to the conference in May urging politicians to be cautious in discussing their views on abortion and unity. According to Lataria, this could turn out to be a “source of disagreement”.

This week’s debate exposed some of the cultural and political divisions that have rocked the Church in recent years. The number of members of the Catholic Church in the United States has fallen by almost 20 percent over the past two decades, according to a Gallup poll released in March.