Speaking to a coalition of legislators and religious leaders from both parties, President Joe Biden emphasized the need for unity during his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
All religions are welcome to the event, according to the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, the charity that organizes it. The Fellowship Foundation, an organization with religious roots, ran it until 2023. Every president of the United States has attended the yearly brunch since Dwight Eisenhower in 1953.
During his address, Biden delivered his prayer for the US, encouraging Americans to believe that their best days are ahead and that all people are “precious” in God’s eyes. Also, he said that everyone deserves a “fair shot” and that the United States should not abandon anyone. Additionally, he condemned the growing antisemitism in America, stating that the country shouldn’t provide hate a safe harbor.
Biden said that Americans sometimes have tough disagreements and go after each other, but he urged political opponents to treat each other with dignity and respect.
While in office, Biden has maintained his identity as a devout Catholic by routinely attending Mass. Since becoming president in 2021, he has made it a point to attend the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation’s yearly gatherings. In each address, he has emphasized the need for unity, an issue central to his 2020 campaign. There was a 2021 meeting between him and Pope Francis at the Vatican; he is the second Catholic president following John F. Kennedy.
When a reporter in 2021 asked him about his religious views, he said they were a “private matter.” This was in response to bishops’ arguments that politicians who believe in abortion, like Biden, shouldn’t be able to receive communion. Biden claims that Pope Francis assured him that he should continue receiving communion since he is a “good Catholic” within the context of that disagreement.
Finally, in light of the partisan schisms and the upcoming 2024 presidential race, President Biden stressed the significance of togetherness during his address. In his address, he pleaded with religious and political leaders to unite and never lose sight of who they are as Americans.
