Late last month, Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati hosted the event that was moderated by ultra-left CNN host Don Lemon – who critics say guided the Catholic president through the town hall with easy questions. The school has since come under fire for embracing a political leader who stands against its Catholic teachings.
Catholic without Catholic beliefs?
Even though White House press secretary Jen Psaki repeatedly describes Biden as a "devout Catholic" when reporters question his pro-abortion policies, the Catholic Church considered denying him communion in recent months over his abortion activism. More recently, pro-life Catholic groups had pressured the Catholic university to drop Biden's town hall.
"[It is] unacceptable [for Mount St. Joseph University to host a president who is responsible] for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of unborn lives," Right to Life of Cincinnati urged people tell school officials on the phone, according to The Christian Post (CP).
The pro-life organization stressed how Biden directly counters the university's biblical values that have been championed by its founders – the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.
"What compassion and charity is shown the unborn when the university hosts a president who claims to be a Catholic, yet has the most pro-abortion administration in the history of our country?" Right to Life Cincinnati posed in a press release posted on its website.
"We need [the archbishop's] leadership and his voice to stand up for the most innocent among us, and to make it clear that President Biden is not a Catholic in good standing until he does all in his power to put an end to abortion. In this time of evil and confusion, we need the leadership and voices of good and faithful Catholic men."
Catholic Church leadership has made it known that it doesn't stand in support of the pro-abortion president.
"Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has not been contacted by any involved party about the upcoming visit of President Joseph R. Biden to Cincinnati to participate in a CNN town hall meeting at Mount St. Joseph University," the Archdiocese of Cincinnati announced in statement on July 20. "Archbishop Schnurr has therefore not been asked for, nor would he have granted, his approval for any such event to occur on Catholic premises."
Catholics across Ohio, including Dusty Rhodes, who serves a county auditor, expressed outrage over the university holding the town hall. "It's official. The Sisters of Charity are a disgrace," Rhodes tweeted.
A 2006 graduate of Mount St. Joseph University, Lisa Bloomfield, rebuked her alma mater for not standing up for its professed beliefs and hosting Biden at the campus event.
"The fact that he is called a 'devout' Catholic because he attends Sunday mass does not negate that his behavior is considered gravely sinful by Catholic Church teaching and is therefore opposed to any such status," Bloomfield was quoted by Cincinnati Right to Life. "It is not in the interest of the Sisters or any Catholic institution to play host to a man who promotes the killing of unborn innocent children."
Playing the inclusion card
In an attempt to defend its decision to host Biden's town hall, Mount St. Joseph University boasted how it is a conduit for the social gospel, while saying nothing about promoting or standing up for the values it professes to champion.
"The university has always been and will continue to be a diverse and inclusive place where people from different races, ethnicities, social backgrounds, beliefs and religions can come together to discuss and share their unique perspectives," the university proclaimed in a statement, according to CP. "We look forward to introducing the Mount to a nationally televised prime time audience."
The university also tried to deflect any questions about being accountable for the town hall.
"All decisions about the event are being made by CNN and Mount Saint Joseph and do not involve the Sisters of Charity," the Catholic university insisted, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "CNN is utilizing the Mount's facility and will make the decisions on attendance at the event, whose questions will be asked of the President, etc."
