Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) criticized the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Friday for advancing a formal statement indicating President Biden should be denied communion, calling the group “hypocrites” over the vote.
The conference voted to proceed with drafting a teaching document on the Holy Eucharist outlining the meaning of communion. The statement will include whether Biden and other politicians should be denied communion based on their abortion stance.
Lieu, a Catholic, criticized the conference on Twitter for being “nakedly partisan” in the vote.
He noted that the bishops did not take a similar action against former Attorney General William Barr due to his stance on the death penalty, which the Catholic Church also opposes.
“Dear @USCCB: I’m Catholic and you are hypocrites. You did not tell Bill Barr, a Catholic, not to take communion when he expanded killing human beings with the death penalty,” Lieu said.
“You are being nakedly partisan and you should be ashamed. Another reason you are losing membership,” he continued.
The communion measure will be voted on at the group’s meeting in November. Even if the group votes in favor of the motion, the Vatican would still need to approve the measure, which is highly unlikely.
On Monday, Pope Francis warned that communion should not be used as a political weapon by Catholic bishops.
Biden is the second Catholic president in U.S. history after former President Kennedy, and is open about his devotion to his faith.
“That’s a private matter, and I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Biden told reporters when asked about the debate within the Catholic Church on Friday.