Washington D.C., May 6, 2021 / 11:00 am (CNA).
The head of the EWTN media network said that President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office “couldn’t be more disappointing,” due to his policies contradicting the Church’s teachings on human life and sexuality.
“Sadly, during the second Catholic president’s brief time in the Oval Office, Biden’s policies show he intends to govern in complete opposition to fundamental Church teachings regarding human life and sexuality, despite his spokeswoman’s continual professions of the centrality of the president’s Catholic faith,” EWTN board chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw wrote in an April 30 publisher’s note in the National Catholic Register.
President Biden reached 100 days in office on April 29. He is only the second Catholic president in U.S. history.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s assertions that Biden is a “devout” or “practicing” Catholic” give problematic cover to the president’s “radical” policies on abortion and “LGBT” issues, Warsaw wrote.
“As Catholic commentator Fran Maier recently pointed out during a conference at Villanova University, ‘Biden’s rosary beads, his public nods to saints, and his attendance at Mass all serve to normalize his administration’s policies and actions that directly attack key Catholic beliefs on abortion, sex, family and marriage,’” Warsaw said.
Biden’s administration has acted to promote abortion and the “LGBT” agenda with surprising “haste and intensity,” Warsaw said of the president’s first 100 days.
Just eight days after he was inaugurated, Biden issued an executive order repealing the Mexico City Policy, and allowing for U.S. global health assistance to once again flow to international NGOs that perform or promote abortions.
“The move flouted repeated reminders from the U.S. bishops about how his [Biden’s] pro-abortion commitments conflict with the Church’s clear teaching about this preeminent moral issue of our time,” Warsaw wrote, “as well as Pope Francis’ repeated warnings about ‘modern forms of ideological colonization,’ including the exportation of a progressive agenda against the unborn.”
Biden – a Catholic president – enabled taxpayer funding of pro-abortion groups, and made U.S. Catholics complicit in such funding, Warsaw said.
“With the stroke of a pen, our nation’s Catholic president forced his fellow Catholics, and other Americans who abhor abortion on the grounds of their faith-based belief in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, to violate their consciences by making them complicit in funding the international abortion lobby,” Warsaw wrote.
Biden has also appointed Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services, “a Catholic politician who dissents on abortion even more flagrantly than the president,” Warsaw noted.
The administration has already repealed a pro-life rule, allowing Title X federal family planning funding to go to clinics that refer for abortions and further requiring recipients to provide abortion counseling.
“Planned Parenthood will be by far the biggest beneficiary of the Title X money that is now poised to flood into the abortion industry,” Warsaw wrote.
The administration also allowed federally-funded research with aborted fetal tissue to resume at National Institutes of Health (NIH) facilities. It revoked an ethics advisory board set up by the Trump administration to review proposals for federally-funded fetal tissue research conducted outside NIH facilities.
“In effect, this move gives a green light to the evil trade in abortion-derived human body parts,” Warsaw said.
Biden has also contradicted Church teaching on sexuality by going “all-in for promotion of ‘transgenderism’ and other central elements of the ‘LGBT’ agenda,” Warsaw wrote.
The president issued an executive order upon taking office that redefined sex discrimination to include discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.” Biden stated it was the policy of his administration to uphold federal civil rights protections against sex discrimination, and to extend the protections to these other classes.
“Along with facilitating destructive ‘gender-reassignment’ medical procedures — including for minors — and compromising women’s sports by allowing competition by biological males who identify as female, legal scholars warn that Biden’s policies will inevitably transgress against the conscience rights of Catholics and others who reject gender ideology,” Warsaw wrote.
Biden’s flurry of activity on these issues is an “aggressive and highly partisan mode of governance” that “flagrantly contradicts the central promise he made in his inaugural address — to govern as a unifier, not a divider,” Warsaw wrote.
In response to these policies, Catholics now “have a double responsibility at this political moment,” Warsaw wrote.
“We need to highlight how Biden’s policies and actions in these areas are harming all Americans. We also need to highlight how they are undermining the Church, by making it seem that it’s possible to remain authentically Catholic while dissenting so fundamentally on such key moral issues,” he said.
EWTN Global Catholic Network is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 global TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 300 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories.
EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 500 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the largest Catholic websites in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including Catholic News Agency, The National Catholic Register newspaper, and several global news wire services; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.
The head of the EWTN media network said that President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office “couldn’t be more disappointing,” due to his policies contradicting the Church’s teachings on human life and sexuality.
“Sadly, during the second Catholic president’s brief time in the Oval Office, Biden’s policies show he intends to govern in complete opposition to fundamental Church teachings regarding human life and sexuality, despite his spokeswoman’s continual professions of the centrality of the president’s Catholic faith,” EWTN board chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw wrote in an April 30 publisher’s note in the National Catholic Register.
President Biden reached 100 days in office on April 29. He is only the second Catholic president in U.S. history.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s assertions that Biden is a “devout” or “practicing” Catholic” give problematic cover to the president’s “radical” policies on abortion and “LGBT” issues, Warsaw wrote.
“As Catholic commentator Fran Maier recently pointed out during a conference at Villanova University, ‘Biden’s rosary beads, his public nods to saints, and his attendance at Mass all serve to normalize his administration’s policies and actions that directly attack key Catholic beliefs on abortion, sex, family and marriage,’” Warsaw said.
Biden’s administration has acted to promote abortion and the “LGBT” agenda with surprising “haste and intensity,” Warsaw said of the president’s first 100 days.
Just eight days after he was inaugurated, Biden issued an executive order repealing the Mexico City Policy, and allowing for U.S. global health assistance to once again flow to international NGOs that perform or promote abortions.
“The move flouted repeated reminders from the U.S. bishops about how his [Biden’s] pro-abortion commitments conflict with the Church’s clear teaching about this preeminent moral issue of our time,” Warsaw wrote, “as well as Pope Francis’ repeated warnings about ‘modern forms of ideological colonization,’ including the exportation of a progressive agenda against the unborn.”
Biden – a Catholic president – enabled taxpayer funding of pro-abortion groups, and made U.S. Catholics complicit in such funding, Warsaw said.
“With the stroke of a pen, our nation’s Catholic president forced his fellow Catholics, and other Americans who abhor abortion on the grounds of their faith-based belief in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, to violate their consciences by making them complicit in funding the international abortion lobby,” Warsaw wrote.
Biden has also appointed Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services, “a Catholic politician who dissents on abortion even more flagrantly than the president,” Warsaw noted.
The administration has already repealed a pro-life rule, allowing Title X federal family planning funding to go to clinics that refer for abortions and further requiring recipients to provide abortion counseling.
“Planned Parenthood will be by far the biggest beneficiary of the Title X money that is now poised to flood into the abortion industry,” Warsaw wrote.
The administration also allowed federally-funded research with aborted fetal tissue to resume at National Institutes of Health (NIH) facilities. It revoked an ethics advisory board set up by the Trump administration to review proposals for federally-funded fetal tissue research conducted outside NIH facilities.
“In effect, this move gives a green light to the evil trade in abortion-derived human body parts,” Warsaw said.
Biden has also contradicted Church teaching on sexuality by going “all-in for promotion of ‘transgenderism’ and other central elements of the ‘LGBT’ agenda,” Warsaw wrote.
The president issued an executive order upon taking office that redefined sex discrimination to include discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.” Biden stated it was the policy of his administration to uphold federal civil rights protections against sex discrimination, and to extend the protections to these other classes.
“Along with facilitating destructive ‘gender-reassignment’ medical procedures — including for minors — and compromising women’s sports by allowing competition by biological males who identify as female, legal scholars warn that Biden’s policies will inevitably transgress against the conscience rights of Catholics and others who reject gender ideology,” Warsaw wrote.
Biden’s flurry of activity on these issues is an “aggressive and highly partisan mode of governance” that “flagrantly contradicts the central promise he made in his inaugural address — to govern as a unifier, not a divider,” Warsaw wrote.
In response to these policies, Catholics now “have a double responsibility at this political moment,” Warsaw wrote.
“We need to highlight how Biden’s policies and actions in these areas are harming all Americans. We also need to highlight how they are undermining the Church, by making it seem that it’s possible to remain authentically Catholic while dissenting so fundamentally on such key moral issues,” he said.
EWTN Global Catholic Network is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 global TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 300 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories.
EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 500 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the largest Catholic websites in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including Catholic News Agency, The National Catholic Register newspaper, and several global news wire services; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.
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Michael Warsaw says that Biden’s first 100 days in office “Couldn’t be more disappointing.” Disappointing maybe, but hardly surprising. He is doing what he said he would do. He has always been pro-abortion and pro LGBT. He just happens to now have the power to push these things even harder. He voted pro-abortion. He officiated at a homosexual “wedding” for crying out loud.
Warsaw states that “Biden’s pro-abortion executive orders,” flouted repeated reminders from the U.S bishops about how his pro-abortion commitments conflict with the Church’s clear teaching (on Life).” Again, I say, he did what he said he would do. And, I believe I keep fairly current on both secular news and Church news. I don’t recall seeing these repeated reminders from the U.S. bishops.
Of course my own bishop is a registered member of the party of death (information available online in my state). I haven’t seen any statement of his on these topics, either pre or post election.
Warsaw concludes by saying that Biden’s policies and actions are undermining the Church.
Really no problem though. I read that the USCCB might publish a document at their June meeting on Eucharistic Coherence. That should fix things.
It was neither disappointing nor surprising. It was expected. Biden has come through for his supporters in a way GOP politicians do not.
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What is disappointing, but I guess should not be, is Catholic Bishops, priests, and various media people saying “Oh, how disappointing (_this_latest_autrocity_) is! How confusing for the laity!” You would think these people would learn, or at least learn new verbage to express their “disappointment” and “confusion.”
It should hardly have ben a surprise to anybody.
This was all so predictable. The so-called mainstream media peddled the notion of Biden the moderate and a lot of people bought it.
I for one would appreciate it if, when discussing the President, do one of these two 1) Not capitalizing the word ‘catholic’, or 2) Refer to him as CINO – Catholic In Name Only.
We have been having this ‘debate’ for about 40 years now, and it is worth noting that it got heated when Ted Kennedy stood up in the Senate and railed about how Robert Bork would necessitate women having to go back to ‘back-alley abortions’.
Even then it was a scandal when he and John Kerry, who both professed to be ‘catholic’ were receiving Holy Communion.
How gullible do they think we are, and how long will we have to wait?
1) The Bishop tells the unrepentant sinner – do not present yourselves for Communion.
2) The Bishop tells his Priests – Refuse him – Joe – or her – Nancy – Holy Communion. (I am of course naming only the most prominent offenders.)
3) The Priests obey him.
4) What next? We’ll probably never know, unless Joe travels to San Francisco.
Why is there “disappointment?” Biden is doing exactly what he promised. Were there actually Catholics who voted for him and thought he wouldn’t do as he promised? And why disappointment in Biden’s non-flip-flop, when US cardinals and bishops knew full well what he was going to do and not going to do. Let the likes of Cupich, Tobin, Gregory and Farrell get out there and tell everyone how proud they are of their campaign and vote for “devout Catholic” Biden. I suspect they’re also proud of the mess he created at the border, enticing thousands to the chaos. (I’m not seeing any Masses at the wall this time around … hey, bishops? Not a word about kids in cages; not a word about human traffikers.)
Please, not another word from the hirelings, or for that matter, the entire USCCB, about informed voting and responsible citizenship, much less about a pro-life Church. They destroyed any semblance of credibility on that subject. They are democrats first and foremost.
You forgot Mcelroy.
“Biden’s rosary beads, his public nods to saints, and his attendance at Mass all serve to normalize his administration’s policies and actions that directly attack key Catholic beliefs”. Biden’s belief that in politics we may be morally opposed to an issue but still support it in compliance with a pluralistic society may be true for some issues, never when it is the killing of an innocent life. Archhypocricy for sake of political reward. Neither is it optional to vote for a candidate who openly promotes abortion, as affirmed by both John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Biden’s morality is similar to a pious Pontiff who has deftly redirected Catholicism shifting moral focus to liceity for open borders and illegal migration, ecology questions rather than abortion and sexual dysphoria. Never in history has Christ’s revelation been so profoundly compromised by two Catholics holding the world’s most powerful positions. But then if Satan were to devise a strategy to destroy the Church would he not prefer Catholics capable of immense influence simply because they are Catholic? Many as you’re aware suffer with you. That’s important to remind ourselves, that there’s mutual support. Our quandary unfortunately is also self inflicted because we’ve attended to the appearance of holiness rather than the painful, sacrificial development of interior sanctity. Facade as a cover for evil exploded into a nightmare of manifest evil almost of a sudden. Thankfully, due to Our Lord’s grace there are many who hold fast to Christ and are fighting the good fight. EWTN, Catholic websites, writers, lecturers are holding the line. We likely were selected for this fight simply because we’re in it.
Sexual dysphoria should read transsexuality.
Come on Man. How could anyone be being surprised by Biden actions. He is a typical CINO Dem. politician. They all support his actions. What surprises me somewhat is that lack of action by the bishops. The lack of action by the bishops is a real swipe at the Catholic Church. It’s becoming plain and simple they are way too many disappointing shepherds.
Makes one wonder why the bishops don’t tell their priests to speak out against abortion, homosexuality, in their sermons….. perhaps they are right there w/the Biden’s…. it might bring more attention to their lifestyles also???? Think within and don’t judge but be vigilant to this, and ask and write letters to your own parish priest. We need more exposure to these issues, for our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. Stay strong. Speak to me Lord, your servant is listening– now exposing the evil as well.
I have definite thoughts about anyone who says he’s surprised about Biden’s actions in the first 100 days.
Only someone exceedingly naive or deliberately disingenuous would be “disappointed” by Biden’s actions which are publicly attested by decades of explicit and contumacious actions that directly contradict infallible Catholic dogma and morals and which have only increased in number and in violence since his fraudulent imposture in office 100 days ago.
Satan uses the hubris of men who want to be the King of all men to do his bidding. Matt. 4:8-9.
Biden’s “PROMISE” to unify? Goodness, Mr Warsaw was duped by a forked tongue. When will good-intentioned people learn that things are usually not as they appear in politics? Biden was repackaged as a kindly old man–after 46 years of self serving politics–and many Catholics lapped it up. We had our chance to make real change under the previous administration, which boldly revised antilife policies in spite of constant fire from the left. But polite Catholics didn’t want action; they voted for more surface decorum. Strong words from Mr Warsaw won’t change a thing. Now we’re back to marching in DC and losing ground with each step.
I suppose it would be disappointing had we been expecting anything better.
Let me guess: If you are “surprised” or “disappointed” by the Biden administration’s first 100 days, you probably believe in the “Renewal” introduced by Vatican II, the imposing status of John-Paul the “Great,” and the “good work” of the USCCB.
Disappointing is not the word Mother Angelica would have used. If EWTN expects to be taken seriously as a voice in opposition to the ideological attacks threatening the Church from within then message-buffering needs to be taken off the table. The American bishops have honed that tactic to their discredit and at enormous harm to mission of saving souls.