Article snippet: Former Vice President Joe Biden was denied Holy Communion at a Catholic church in Florence, South Carolina, on Sunday because of his position on abortion. The Rev. Robert Morey, the pastor of St. Anthony Catholic Church, said he had to refuse the sacrament to Biden, a 2020 Democratic candidate for president who supports abortion rights. “Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching,” he said in a statement. “I will keep Mr. Biden in my prayers.” Biden has said he accepts church teaching but that the women should not be bound by it. “Reproductive rights are a constitutional right. And, in fact, every woman should have that right,” he said at this month’s Democratic primary debate in Ohio. In 2004, the archbishop of St. Louis said Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, who is also Catholic, would be denied communion if he attended parishes in his archdiocese. The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Digital Access Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Help & FAQs Globe Newsroom Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Link to the full article to read more