Burn, Heretic ! Burn !
The American Espiscopal Conference has approved the drafting of a document to excommunicate President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Translation to English of our article published on 06/19/2021
By a vote of 168 to 65, the U.S. Espicopal Conference has defied Pope Francis, approving the drafting of a declaration on the Eucharist that would effectively excommunicate American Catholics who support abortion.
President Joe Biden, who frequently highlights his Catholic faith while openly being pro-choice, is the primary target, alongside Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The move reflects the conservative bent of the majority of U.S. bishops.
Despite the U.S. being predominantly Protestant, Catholics—comprising 22% of the population, or roughly 70 million people—hold substantial political clout, bolstered by robust networks of influence and fundraising, far surpassing smaller groups like the 16 million-strong Mormon community.
Under canon law, individual bishops retain authority over their dioceses and are not bound by the conference’s decisions. Washington’s Archbishop Wilton Gregory, a papal ally, has already affirmed that Biden may receive communion in his archdiocese.
The political fallout, however, is significant. The prospect of a U.S. president facing excommunication by his own church risks global ridicule: Biden aims to lead the “free world” yet struggles to navigate his own faith community.
As an aside, perhaps American bishops could consider adding Stephen Colbert to their list for an extra dose of irony?