Almost three-quarters of church-going Catholics believe Catholic public officials who support certain stances like abortion should not partake in Communion.
According to the poll, released by CatholicVote on Tuesday, 74% of Catholics who regularly attend Mass say politicians who oppose key teachings of the Church, including upholding the sanctity of unborn human life, should not receive Communion.
This comes as a hit to President Joe Biden, who self-identifies as Catholic despite his long record of supporting abortion. Because this stance is antithetical to the teachings of the Catholic church, 84% of Catholic respondents say it's “hypocritical.”
In fact, not only is it hypocritical, they say, but it causes confusion within the congregation.
“Catholic politicians who advocate for policies considered ‘gravely immoral’ create confusion and discord among believers,” CatholicVote President Brian Burch said in a statement.
Burch also said that this data should give more confidence to church officials to stand strong on social issues important to the Church.
This is not the first time that Biden’s ties to Catholicism has been called into question because of his pro-choice stance on abortion, however. According to Irish Central, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, told the Catholic World Report, “The president should stop defining himself as a devout Catholic, and acknowledge that his view on abortion is contrary to Catholic moral teaching.”