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ROME, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Joe Biden said on Friday that Pope Francis had told him he should keep receiving Communion, amid fierce debate in the Church over Biden’s position on abortion.
Biden has come under pressure from conservatives at home and critics in the U.S. Church hierarchy have said he should be banned from receiving communion, the central sacrament of the faith.
Asked if the topic of abortion came up during a long meeting with pope in the Vatican on Friday, Biden said no. He said the pope told him he was a good Catholic and he should “keep receiving communion.”
Last month the pope told reporters that abortion is “murder.” But he also appeared to criticize U.S. Catholic bishops for dealing with the issue in a political rather than a pastoral way.