}

I read with sadness that a priest in your diocese has denied Holy Communion to presidential candidate Joe Biden. As Pope Francis has said, the Eucharist is “not a prize for the perfect, but powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak." The Eucharist should never be used as a weapon that turns our churches into a political battlefield. No matter their partisan identification or views on contentious issues, all Catholics hunger for the grace of our church’s sacraments. Denying politicians Communion only further divides our congregations heading into an election year. I humbly encourage you to issue a public statement that makes it clear pastors in your diocese should not treat the Eucharist as a weapon in the culture wars.