FILE PHOTO: In this Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 file photo, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Inauguration Day ceremonies in Washington. When U.S. Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June 2021, they’ll be deciding whether to send a tougher-than-ever message to President Joe Biden and other Catholic politicians: Don’t partake of Communion if you persist in public advocacy of abortion rights.
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FILE PHOTO: In this Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 file photo, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Inauguration Day ceremonies in Washington. When U.S. Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June 2021, they’ll be deciding whether to send a tougher-than-ever message to President Joe Biden and other Catholic politicians: Don’t partake of Communion if you persist in public advocacy of abortion rights.
(Rome) — The newly appointed bishop of President Joe Biden’s home diocese in Delaware says he would gladly speak with the president about his stance on abortion but he’s not saying whether he would allow Biden to keep receiving Communion, as his predecessor has.
Monsignor William Koenig said Friday at a news conference that as a bishop, he is called to teach “the fullness and the beauty of the Catholic faith.”
Koenig replaces Wilmington Bishop Francis Malooly, 77, whose resignation was accepted by Pope Francis.
Biden worships in Wilmington and in Washington.
The bishops of both places have welcomed him to receive Communion despite his support for abortion rights.
