U.S. bishops slated to debate whether Biden should receive communion

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week is expected to debate whether President Biden's support for abortion rights should disqualify him from receiving communion.

Driving the news: At the organization's annual general assembly in Baltimore, the bishops are slated to vote on a document, which clarifies the meaning of "Holy Communion," Reuters writes.

• The president's support of abortion has sparked debate among bishops across the country, who believe his political positions "contradict church teaching," per Reuters.
• Biden is the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy.

The backdrop: Last month, Biden told reporters that Pope Francis believes he should continue to receive communion, adding that the pope said he was a "good Catholic," Axios' Oriana Gonzalez writes.

• Francis has previously said that Catholic bishops should not let politics influence pastoral decisions.
• Most U.S. Catholics believe Biden should be allowed to take Communion despite his stance on abortion, according to polling by Pew Research Center.