Grace Thompson
Joe Biden, born on November 20, 1942, is the oldest child in a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. He is the second Catholic US president, after John F. Kennedy, and the first Catholic vice president. Biden has been open about his Catholic faith, frequently referring to it in public life and quoting the Bible. He attends Mass regularly and has been known to attend Catholic Mass twice in a week. Biden's religious convictions have influenced his political views on abortion and other social issues, which have clashed with the Catholic hierarchy in the US.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 November 1942 |
| Place of birth | St. Mary's Hospital, Scranton, Pennsylvania |
| Parents | Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden née Finnegan and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Role | 46th President of the United States |
| Inauguration date | 20 January 2021 |
| Previous role | Vice President of the United States |
| Cancer diagnosis | Prostate cancer with bone metastasis |
| Cancer treatment | Six-week course of oral medication to be followed by additional therapy |
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What You'll Learn
Joe Biden's Catholic faith
Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, is the second Catholic president in US history, after John F. Kennedy. Biden was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. He is the oldest child of Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr.
Biden has been open about his Catholic faith throughout his public life, frequently referring to it in his remarks. He quoted St. Augustine in his inaugural address and Ecclesiastes 3 in his presidential victory speech. Biden attends Mass regularly and has been to Catholic Mass twice in a single week. He attends services at Holy Trinity Church in the Georgetown neighbourhood of Washington, the same Jesuit-affiliated church as Kennedy. Biden has also been seen leaving his home church, St. Joseph's on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden's religious convictions have influenced his political positions. He personally opposes abortion because of his Catholic faith, but he has supported abortion rights throughout his presidency. Biden's views on certain social issues have clashed with the Catholic hierarchy in the US, including the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose H. Gomez, who warned that Biden's policies would advance "moral evils" and threaten "human life and dignity."
Despite this, Biden's Catholicism has been a source of support for some. Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, argued that former President Donald Trump's presence created an atmosphere that emboldened right-wing Catholics to attack Biden's Catholicism. Faggioli suggested that these efforts would not be silenced as long as Pope Francis, a popular figure across all creeds, remains in power.
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Biden's Catholic upbringing
Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. His parents, Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. and Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden, had four children: Joseph Jr., Valerie, James, and Francis. The family purchased a home in the affluent Long Island suburb of Garden City, New York, in 1946, but when Biden Sr. suffered business setbacks around the time Biden was seven years old, they moved to Scranton to live with Jean's parents.
The family's financial situation improved when Biden Sr. became a successful used-car salesman, and they moved to an apartment in Claymont, Delaware, in 1953, followed by a house in nearby Mayfield, Delaware. Biden's Catholic upbringing was a consistent theme in his life, and he often spoke about his faith during his presidential campaign and after his election. He quoted St. Augustine in his inaugural address and Ecclesiastes 3 in his victory speech, and he regularly attends Mass.
Biden has been open about his Catholic faith and has referred to it frequently throughout his public life. He is just the second Catholic president in U.S. history, after John F. Kennedy, and his views on certain social issues have clashed with the Catholic hierarchy in the country. Biden supports abortion rights, for example, but he personally opposes abortion due to his Catholic faith. He also says his political positions are deeply influenced by Catholic social teaching.
Biden's Catholicism has not been without controversy. Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, wrote that former President Donald Trump's actions emboldened right-wing Catholics to campaign against Pope Francis and attack Biden's Catholicism. Despite this, Biden has persevered in his faith, and his election as the second Catholic U.S. president was a significant milestone in the country's history.
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Biden's Catholic policies
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. He is the oldest child of Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden née Finnegan and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. Biden has often spoken about his Catholic faith and how it has influenced his policies.
Biden has also been scrutinized for his practice of Catholicism in his public life. As commander-in-chief, he regularly attended Mass and often quotes the Bible. He wears his late son's rosary beads on his wrist and has discussed how his faith has shaped his policy views and served as a consolation in his bereavement. Biden's first wife, Neilia, and their 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car accident in 1972, shortly after his election to the U.S. Senate.
In response to surging anti-Christian sentiment and vandalism targeting Catholic churches and institutions, the Biden Administration declared March 31, 2024, Easter Sunday, as "Transgender Day of Visibility." The Administration vowed to enforce the law and protect the freedom of Americans to practice their faith in peace, ensuring that any unlawful conduct targeting Christians would be rectified.
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Biden's Catholic clashes
Joe Biden, born on November 20, 1942, is the oldest child in a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. He is the second Catholic US president, after John F. Kennedy.
Biden has often spoken about his faith, and it has been a consistent theme in his remarks in recent years. He attends Mass regularly and has stated that his positions are deeply influenced by Catholic social teaching. However, there are differing views on how religious he is, with a sharp divide between Democrats and Republicans. While most Democrats consider Biden to be religious, with 45% saying he is "very" religious, two-thirds of Republicans say he is "not too" or "not at all" religious.
Biden's views on abortion have been a particular point of contention among Catholics. While Biden personally opposes abortion due to his Catholic faith, he has supported abortion rights throughout his presidency. A slim majority of Catholic Republicans (55%) think that Biden’s views on abortion should disqualify him from receiving Communion in the Catholic Church. In contrast, nearly nine-in-ten Catholic Democrats (87%) say that Biden should be allowed to receive the Eucharist despite his stance on abortion.
In addition to the debates surrounding Biden's religious beliefs and policies, there have been recent controversies involving alleged anti-Catholic sentiments within the FBI during Biden's presidency. In February 2023, the FBI retracted a memo from the Richmond, Virginia, field office that detailed an investigation into so-called "radical traditionalist" Catholics. The memo expressed concerns about a potential link between "radical-traditionalist" Catholics and racially motivated violent extremism and called for source development within parishes offering the Latin Mass and online Catholic communities. Following the retraction, the Senate Judiciary Committee revealed that similar anti-Catholic language was found in at least 13 separate documents within the FBI. This has sparked concerns about the targeting of religious groups and has led to calls for further investigation and accountability.
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Catholic influence on Biden's politics
Joe Biden, born on November 20, 1942, is the second Catholic president in US history, after John F. Kennedy. He is the oldest child in a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. Biden often speaks about his religious convictions, quotes the Bible, and attends Mass regularly. He has also been regarded as a moderate Democrat.
Biden's Catholic faith has influenced his political views on abortion. While he supported abortion rights throughout his presidency, he personally opposes abortion due to his Catholic beliefs. This has caused a divide among Catholics, who are split along party lines over whether Biden's views on abortion should disqualify him from receiving Communion.
Biden has also been criticised for his administration's surveillance of Catholics. In 2023, a whistleblower revealed that the FBI was spying on Catholic churches and parishioners with pro-life views, deeming them potential domestic terrorists. This led to backlash and accusations of religious discrimination.
However, it is important to note that there are varying perceptions of Biden's religiousness. While most Democrats consider him to be religious, many Republicans believe he is "not too" or "not at all" religious. This discrepancy may be due to the different interpretations of his policies and how they align with Catholic teachings.
In conclusion, Biden's Catholic faith has influenced his political views, particularly regarding abortion. While he has faced criticism for his administration's surveillance of Catholics, his own religious convictions have been a consistent theme in his remarks and have likely shaped his political decisions.
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Frequently asked questions
Joe Biden was born into a Catholic family and has been a Catholic all his life.
Joe Biden is religious. He often speaks about his faith and quotes the Bible, and he attends Mass regularly.
Joe Biden's Catholic faith influences his policies. For example, he personally opposes abortion but supports abortion rights.
About one-in-five US adults are Catholic, making it one of the largest religious groups in the US. Almost all US presidents have been Christians, with Joe Biden being only the second Catholic president.
Joe Biden's Catholic faith has influenced his public image. Some view his religious convictions as a positive aspect of his character, while others have criticised him for not adhering closely enough to Catholic teachings.
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