Washington D.C., May 7, 2021 / 10:00 am America/Denver (CNA).
One U.S. bishop has committed to pray daily for President Joe Biden, because of the president’s pro-abortion policies.
Bishop Joseph Coffey, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Military Services, U.S.A., has pledged to pray daily for the president. He told EWTN Pro-Life Weekly why the matter is so important to him, in an interview that aired on Thursday night.
“What I would like to say to him, if I could,” Bishop Coffey said, “is that none of us are promised tomorrow. And each day could be the last day on earth, and he has such power as the most important, most powerful man in the world as president.”
“It’s very, very sad, because he said that he is personally opposed to abortion, but wouldn’t want to impose his values on others,” Coffey said of Biden. “Well that makes no sense.”
Biden, he added, has actually “imposed” pro-abortion policies through executive actions. In January, the president repealed the Mexico City Policy, allowing U.S. global health assistance to go to international pro-abortion groups. He also instructed his administration to begin reviewing the Protect Life Rule – the first step toward allowing federal funding of clinics that refer for abortions through the Title X program. The administration in April followed that order by proposing to repeal the pro-life rule.
“That’s exactly what he’s doing, he’s imposing his values on those orders,” Coffey said of Biden’s executive actions on funding pro-abortion groups.
“So for those two reasons, I am committed to praying for this president, that he would change those views,” he told EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.
He emphasized the power both of prayer and of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in bringing about conversion.
“I always try to remember that whenever I’m preaching on a homily, that those who have had to make a terrible choice that they regret – there’s always redemption, healing, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, confession. I always stress that,” he said. “And there is always the power of prayer for conversion.”
Bishop Coffey is also episcopal vicar for veterans’ affairs at the archdiocese, and a decorated Navy captain. He told EWTN Pro-Life Weekly that the pro-life cause was close to his heart “for many, many years.”
Coffey said he was 12 years old and one of nine children when the Supreme Court in 1973 struck down state abortion bans in its Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion throughout the United States. His father talked about the issue at the family dinner table the night of the ruling. “That’s when I committed to being a pro-lifer,” Coffey recalled.
He was involved with the group Operation Rescue for years. In 2020, Coffey told the National Catholic Register “We were always peaceful and nonviolent,” adding that he would sit in front of abortion clinics to give sidewalk counselors a chance to reach women as they tried to access the clinic. He was arrested “in about a dozen cities,” he said of his time in Operation Rescue – including one arrest with his mother and several siblings on Good Friday in 1989.
Ordained a priest 25 years ago, Coffey said he prays first for the Holy Father and then the president, at the Prayer of the Faithful during Sunday Mass.
“Throughout various administrations, Republican and Democrat, I have committed to pray for our president every Sunday,” he said. “So I am ramping that up now to pray especially every day for this president, for his conversion, so that he will be more pro-life.”
Biden is just the second Catholic president in U.S. history. While he has taken positions contrary to Church teaching on life and sexuality, the president is still Catholic, Coffey maintained – which makes his positions all the more “tragic.”
“I think we all hear sometimes ‘he’s no Catholic.’ Well he is. Everyone who is baptized is Catholic,” Coffey said. “That’s why this is so tragic, and that’s why I am asking all Catholics to pray for him, really, every day.”
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Well, consider this Bishop Coffey, how about asking the Archbishop of WDC to invite Mr Biden for a beer and a talk on just how precarious a situation the President’s soul is in?
Or, how about you and the Abp of the Military Diocese do the same thing for the CIC. The response would be indicative as to where Biden’s heart and mind really are.
None of the above will happen, I bet. Waay to much money involved. Bet on it.
These statements impressed me:
1) “I always try to remember that whenever I’m preaching on a homily, that those who have had to make a terrible choice that they regret – there’s always redemption, healing, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, confession. I always stress that,” he said. “And there is always the power of prayer for conversion.”
Bishop Joseph Coffey goes right to the heart of what we need to keep in our sight—repentance and conversion.
Praying for the leader of our country, all of Congress, Supreme Court justices, governors, doctors, lawyers, judges, all civil and church authorities, (even individuals by name)is such an important charitable practice.
2) Coffey said he was 12 years old and one of nine children when the Supreme Court in 1973 struck down state abortion bans in its Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion throughout the United States. His father talked about the issue at the family dinner table the night of the ruling. “That’s when I committed to being a pro-lifer,” Coffey recalled.
The impact the father of the family has on his children. Men have virtually been left in the dust since at least the 1960s or even before in the USA. There was a constant barrage of comics, TV series and newspaper columns where men were made the brunt of jokes. Recognizing father as the head of the family, mother as the heart of the family and children as gift to the family unit is key to right order in the structure of society. Bishop Joseph Coffey was blessed to be brought up in that environment. Now he shares the fruit of that holy care. Asking God to continue to bless him as works in the Lord’s vineyard. Amen.
The Bishop needs to add his episcopal buddies (all the way to the top) to his daily prayers for conversion. As long as the bishops are promoting the likes of Biden, pray all you want for the politicians … how shall we say this? It ain’t goin’ nowhere. We are hearing a lot of pious platitudes from our bishops these days, but none has yet to break rank, refuse to circle the wagons, and come out with the ugly truth. The real crisis in the Church today is not faux-Catholic politicians, it is a crisis of episcopal leadership.
Joe Biden has compromised himself morally for nearly 50 years of political life. He has evolved into a caricature of a Catholic. At the same time, he is slowly losing his mental acuity and is aging quickly. The entire affair is so pitiful, that it is difficult not to feel sorry for him and see what his ambition and rigid adherence to party politics has does to him. “ What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his own soul” (St. Mark, 8:36). I think that this applies.
Thank you ex corde dear Bishop!It is sad to hear Catholics telling us that your prayers are going nowhere. Thank you Rosemarie for showing us where the Bishop is bringing us : to the recall the vocation of fatherhood,in the family and in the priesthod. St.Joseph help Joe Biden.
The only soul over which I have any direct influence is mine. Do I approach the Eucharist in full communion with my beloved Church, or do I rationalize my behavior and beliefs as I get in line? I, too, pray for Joseph Biden, that he lives as his baptism has oriented him, and that he not excommunicate himself by prostituting the Eucharist. Pope Francis asks “Who am I to judge?”. I suspect he does this when thinking about the motives and actions of others. So who am I to judge the state of Mr. Biden’s soul? I have to look into my own darkness and judge myself against the statements I make when I publicly recite the Creed.
Quite honestly all of us have sins to contend with, and we know it. Even the Priests we look up to sin. “Who am I to judge” is a cop-out when the person in need of correction is engaging in actions which manifestly are in contradiction with Catholic teaching. Paul knew his own faults yet he didnt hesitate to correct others, which is obvious in his writing. Very few of us are in a position to have our faults influence millions of others in a negative way.That is not true of Biden, who gets massive press every time he speaks as a “devout Catholic” from a leftist media pushing a pro-abortion mentality.
Carter…here, I’m hoping not to sound like a broken record, but again, the Biden thing has nothing to do with “judging the state of Mr. Biden’s soul.” Only God can do that (and we are assured that at some point, He will for Biden AND as well for our possible acquiescence…).
The problem that the President raises is his notorious and public role in advancing and imposing the abortion culture and all the rest, now including scandal and manipulative messaging within the Church itself. And, as for the Church itself, Christ drove the small-time money-“changers” from the temple—
What might He have done with modernday Pharisees pandering to the big-time sex-“changers,” marriage “changers” (redefiners), gender theorists, and such? According to the virtuous but irrelevant non-judgmental thingy, McCarrick should still be still be in business.
Prayers are very good. A statement of outright condemnation for Biden’s actions would be better. As a lector, I am frequently reading bible passages to our parishioners in which a religious leader, old Testament prophet or Apostle, is condemning illicit or erroneous actions on the part of the followers of God and ordering them to amend their way. It seems to me they were not afraid, in an era when death itself could have been a possible likely response. Until church leaders decide the truths they were entrusted with are more important than their public profile or the esteem of the secular world, nothing will change, and the influence of the church on societal morals will continue to slip.
Yes, the Archbisop is Right On! We should pray for Biden’s soul, as well as the souls such as Biden’s! Biden is now a pagan! Because, he is pro-abortion and, all other Anti God Laws! GOD is LIFE! Thus, anything that we the humans do that is against LIFE IS ANTI GOD! What is anti God is pro SATAN! Satan loves human sacrifices! Birth Control when is practiced by not following the Church Guadlines is practicing Satanism! Abortion! Same Gender sexual union =Satanism!! Euthanasia! They are all ANTI GOD, but PRO-SATAN Laws!
“The enemy of a man is within his househole hold.” Matt.10:36. Thus, the Enemy of God is within HIS CHURCh!
Jesus said to be persistent in prayer:
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https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2018:1-8&version=NIV
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But He also had a bit about shaking the dust from one’s feet that comes to mind:
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https://biblehub.com/matthew/10-14.htm
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