The archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. stressed President Joe Biden's selectivity when asked about the president’s devotion to Catholicism following days of debate.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory described the Democrat as a “cafeteria Catholic” when asked about Biden’s sincerity during an appearance on Face the Nation on March 31 – Easter Sunday for Christians.
“I would say that he's very sincere about his faith. But like a number of Catholics, he picks and chooses dimensions of the faith to highlight while ignoring or even contradicting other parts,” said Gregory. “There is a phrase that we have used in the past, a ‘cafeteria Catholic’ — you choose that which is attractive and dismiss that which is challenging.”
In particular, Gregory said there are things “about the life issue” – referring to abortion regulation – that Biden “chooses to ignore.”
“He uses the current situation as a political pawn,” said the cardinal.
Biden faced a significant backlash after proclaiming March 31 National Transgender Visibility Day. Conservatives accused the president of belittling Christianity while prioritizing progressive views on sex and gender.
“I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination against all transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people,” Biden stated in his proclamation, per The New York Post.
“Is President Biden literally out of touch with reality? Why would he take Christianity’s Holiest Day, Easter, and declare it to be ‘Transgender day of Visibility ‘?” wrote former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on X. “We would be irritated whenever he did it but doing it on Easter is an obscene insult to every Christian.”
“There is no length Biden and the Democrats won’t go to ... mock your faith, and to thumb his nose at God,” wrote Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene on X. “We know that Christ is King and God will not be mocked, just like we know Joe Biden isn’t really the one calling the shots in the White House.”
The White House has denied that the proclamation was a politically calculated move.
“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement emailed to Newsweek on March 30. “Sadly, it's unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit."
In a post on his official presidential X account on Easter Sunday, Biden directly addressed “trans Americans.”
“You are made in the image of God, and you're worthy of respect and dignity,” Biden wrote.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the reports about the controversy “misinformation” while addressing reports on April 1. She noted that Transgender Visibility Day is always marked on March 31 while Easter Sunday changes each year.
Gregory is the first African American cardinal in Catholic history and is the highest-ranking member of the church in the country.
“It’s been a time to thank God for this unique moment in my life and in the life of the church in the United States,” Gregory said after his appointment in 2020, per CNN. “I hope it’s a sign to the African American community that the Catholic Church has a great reverence, respect and esteem for the people, for my people of color.”
