FACT CHECK: Is Joe Biden ‘Facing Excommunication’ From The Catholic Church?

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims President Joe Biden is purportedly facing excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Verdict: False

The claim does not appear on the Holy See’s website, the White House’s website, or the White House’s verified social media accounts. In addition, USA Today debunked the claim.

Fact Check:

Biden was not included in TIME Magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People” for 2024, according to Fox News. Biden made the magazine’s list the first three years of his presidency, the outlet reported.

“BREAKING: Biden facing excommunication from the Catholic Church,” the Facebook post purports. The post, which has garnered over 1,000 likes as of writing, does not provide a source to support its claim.

The claim is false. The claim does not appear on the Holy See’s website. The claim also has not been reported on by Catholic media outlets, such as the National Catholic Register or the Catholic News Agency. (RELATED: Fact Checking Biden’s Claim About His Uncle’s Death)

Likewise, Check Your Fact has found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. USA Today debunked the claim via an April 12 article. Additionally, the claim is neither referenced on the White House’s website nor its verified social media accounts. Biden also has not publicly commented on the claim via his personal or government X accounts.

Although the Catholic Church has not excommunicated Biden, Cardinal Gerhard Muller has joined U.S. bishops in calling for Biden to be excommunicated over his stance on abortion, according to Catholic Citizens.org. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S., also called for Biden to be excommunicated in a lengthy X post shared on Mar. 31.

In 2021, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) threatened to ban Biden from receiving communion due to his stance on abortion, The Guardian reported. Biden is only the second Catholic U.S. president after former President John F. Kennedy, according to the Pew Research Center.

Check Your Fact has contacted the Holy See for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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