Several U.S. bishops displayed confusion about the pope's reported words to Biden. Bishop Joseph Strickland, of Tyler, Texas, retweeted an intense blog post by conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke that fully reaffirmed that Catholic politicians who back abortion rights could not receive the sacrament.
"I fear that the Church has lost its prophetic voice," Bishop of Providence Thomas Tobin tweeted Friday. "Where are the John the Baptists who will confront the Herods of our day?"
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Earlier in the week, Tobin had openly challenged Pope Francis to deny Communion to the president.
"Dear Pope Francis, You have boldly stated that abortion is 'murder,'" Tobin said. "Please challenge President Biden on this critical issue. His persistent support of abortion is an embarrassment for the Church and a scandal to the world. Thank you. Very respectfully, Your brother +Thomas."
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Biden told reporters on Friday that abortion did not come up in his 75-minute meeting with Francis at the Vatican. "We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion," Biden said.
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The president has met judgment from Catholic Priests and parishioners across the country for continuing to receive Communion and praise his Catholic faith despite his strident support of unrestricted abortion.
Over the summer, a group of Catholic Bishops met to address a potential communion ban which Biden said he was not concerned about, saying, "I don't think that's going to happen."
While Biden regularly receives Communion in his home Dioceses in Washington and Delaware, it was significant that he also got Communion in Rome. The Pope is the bishop of Rome, and while he delegates day-to-day administration to his Vicar. St. Patrick's parish is technically in the pope's Archdiocese.
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Approximately 30 people attended the Mass, and security guards surrounded the aisles. The Bidens sat in the last row roped off as "Reserved" and entered quietly, just after Mass had begun.
The Rev. Joe Ciccone, the Vice-Rector of St. Patrick's, and a member of the Paulist Order was the main celebrant and was followed by the Parish Rector, the Rev. Steven Petroff, and a third priest. The Associated Press attended the service.
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