Is Joe Biden a “Good Catholic?” Are you?

Joe Biden will be the second US president to profess the Catholic faith. But unlike his predecessor, John F Kennedy, he does not have overwhelming support from Catholic voters. This is in large part because many Catholics do not consider Joe Biden a “good” Catholic or even a “real” Catholic. His public stances on abortion and LBGTQ+ rights put him in direct opposition to Church teaching. In the past, he has even been denied Communion. But Joe Biden isn’t that different from the vast majority of American Catholics. When we ask ourselves if Joe Biden is a good Catholic, in many ways we are asking the question of ourselves.

What Makes a Good Catholic?

I had a phone call last night with a friend who I consider to be one of the most devout Catholics I know. This friend is the kindest, sweetest soul. She receives the Eucharist with great reverence and prays constantly. She’s a teacher in a Catholic school and leads her parish youth group. She keeps the laws of the Church with great discipline. Yet what do you think we were discussing? We were discussing the challenge she was having accepting a particular Church teaching. As we were wrestling with this question – I won’t say which one – she observed that questioning is part of the experience of faith. It may be that she comes around to Church teaching on this particular issue, but it may be that she cannot. And if she cannot, would anyone seriously argue that she was no longer a good Catholic?

Can Joe Biden Define “Good Standing”?

In an article for the Washington Post, Michelle Boorstein argued that Joe Biden could redefine what it means to be a Catholic in good standing. On one hand, this demonstrates a serious misunderstanding of Catholicism. It’s not a democracy, and Joe Biden does not get to define anything. On the other hand, Joe Biden’s very public and very conflicted faith life could shine a spotlight on a hidden truth about how most American Catholics practice their faith. While there is a small minority that do in fact follow every rule and believe every teaching, most people are conflicted. The bishops who are considering excommunicating Joe Biden need to seriously ask themselves if this is the message they want to send to the majority of the flock. Because while the loudest voices may be calling for Biden’s excommunication, the average practicing Catholic is wondering if their support of gay marriage, their use of birth control, or the fact that they don’t want to return to a pre-Roe world, means that God’s grace is no longer available to them.

The Flock is Very Large

As a pro-life Catholic, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around a Catholic president who supports abortion. I empathize with those who find this scandal too great to accept. But I also empathize with Joe Biden. Because the Church’s manner of approaching life issues has never sat well with me, and has become increasingly intolerable during the past four years. I also empathize with Catholics who aligned themselves with Trump, despite his many sins, because he supported them on abortion. I don’t consider any of these people “bad Catholics.” Rather, I recognize that the flock is very large. Catholics on many things, but there are a few things we d0 agree on.

Catholics agree that God became man and died for our sins. We believe that he gives himself to us continually during the sacrifice of the Mass, where bread and wine is transformed into his Body and Blood. Catholics believe in the Sacraments and the Creed. And Catholics, for the most part, try to be good Catholics. For the most part, we fail.

It seems like Joe Biden is in fact one of us.