(CNSNews.com) -- Although President Joe Biden frequently claims that he is a devout Catholic, his recent comment about bishops and Pope Francis not opposing taxpayer funding of abortion, was rebuked by the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops who reasserted the Church's long-held opposition to abortion.
On Jan. 30, a reporter said to President Biden, “Catholic bishops are demanding that federal tax dollars not fund abortions.” In response, Biden replied, “No they are not all doing that. Nor is the Pope doing that.”
In response to Biden's claim, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the USCCB, said in a Feb. 1 statement,
“As we are taught by Jesus, human life is sacred. God calls us to defend and nurture life from the moment a new human being is conceived. The Catholic Church has been clear and consistent in this teaching.
"The Catholic bishops of the United States are united in our commitment to life and will continue to work as one body in Christ to make abortion unthinkable.
"As the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has said, ‘It is not right to ‘do away with’ a human being, however small, in order to solve a problem. It is like hiring a hitman.’
"Taxpayer funding of abortion would force people of good conscience to participate in this grave evil against their will. It would contradict our right to live in accord with the tenets of our faith. Our nation is better than that.
"I pray that we will protect every child no matter his or her age, and open our hearts to respond to mothers in need with love and support rather than the violence of abortion.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.... Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes."
Commenting on Biden's remarks, Catholic League President Bill Donohue said, "Biden is either profoundly ignorant of Catholicism, or he is lying through his teeth. Either way, for a man who loves to wear his Catholicism on his sleeve, he is a public embarrassment to Catholics the world over."
"Never has there been a White House occupant who more consistently seeks to sabotage Roman Catholicism than Joe Biden," said Donohue.