BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops have overwhelmingly approved a document on Communion that stops short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians who support abortion rights, such as President Joe Biden. The measure does offer plenty of tacit justification for individual bishops to consider withholding Communion in such cases, however. The document is not a national policy but says bishops have a responsibility to address cases where Catholics act “at variance” with church teaching and unity. It was approved by a 222-8 vote at the fall assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.

Julio Cortez/AP
Bishop Manuel Cruz, front left, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., reads scripture during a morning prayer at the Fall General Assembly meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Baltimore.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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