Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 19, 2025 / 16:42 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, and politicians from both major political parties are urging the country to pray for former president Joe Biden after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Biden’s office announced on Sunday that the former president was diagnosed last week with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, stating that doctors found a prostate nodule after Biden experienced “increasing urinary symptoms.”
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” the statement added. “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
The news was met with overwhelming support and calls for prayers, including from the Diocese of Wilmington, the diocese to which the country’s second Catholic president belongs.
“As Catholics, we are called to carry out Christ’s charge to ‘heal the sick’ by caring for those who are ill and accompanying them in their time of suffering through prayers of intercession,” Robert G. Krebs, the communications director for the diocese, said in a statement.
“The Church believes in the life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies, and wishes the former president a rapid return to health,” he said.
On Monday, Biden posted a message on X that included a picture of himself with his wife, former first lady Jill Biden, thanking the public for their support.
“Cancer touches us all,” Biden said on X. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Politicians offer prayers, best wishes
President Donald Trump, who ran against Biden twice, expressed sadness about the news in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump wrote. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Vice President JD Vance, the second Catholic vice president after Biden, told reporters that “we wish the best for the former president’s health” but also expressed concerns that he believes the prior administration did not provide “accurate information about what he was actually dealing with” during his presidency.
Former vice president Kamala Harris, who served under Biden, said in a post on X that she and her husband, Doug, are keeping Biden “and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time.”
“Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” she said. “We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House and a fellow Catholic, said she and her husband, Paul, “join millions across the country and around the world praying for him to have strength and a swift recovery in the battle against cancer” in a post on X.
Current House Speaker Mike Johnson also said on X that he and his family “will be joining the countless others who are praying for the former president in the wake of his diagnosis.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X that he is “praying for President Biden and the entire Biden family,” and Senate Majority Leader Thom Tillis said he and his wife, Susan, “are saddened to hear about President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis and are praying for his full recovery.”
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Wouldn’t it be something if the Catholic bishops called upon Biden to publicly repent of his very public mortal sins? If they cared about his soul and the enormous damage this wretched man’s political career inflicted on society, they would. When it was announced that Ted Kennedy was terminally ill sixteen years ago, a few nobodies online pleaded with the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston to call that evil man to repentance while he still had time. Instead, Kennedy was given a funeral mass that turned into a celebration of his life and work with said Cardinal praising him for his commitment to social justice. The cherry on the cake, though, was allowing Obama to eulogize him from the pulpit.
The American bishops were preparing to make some tepid statement on Biden as he was about to take office. Francis said, “Don’t you dare!”, so even that mild and ineffective reproach was never issued. What ensued over the next four years was an epic scandal, with a President pursuing the most extreme anti-life policies while at the same time calling himself a “devout Catholic” and receiving Holy Communion any time he chose to. To make some amends for this, they need to be decisive this time. The new Pope might even back them up.
Do we know that Teddy Kennedy didn’t repent? Good things happened after his death & his widow helped Massachusetts avoid passing a euthanasia law.
I understand we should avoid scandal. That’s important but I don’t want to assume unrepentance.
Which widow? Joan? Victoria? Do we now succumb to the trap of serial civil marriage?
While nobody should presume the state of a decedent’s soul, Ted Kennedy’s life was one sordid scandal after another-and even in the pantheon of political scandals, Chappaquiddick remains something unique.
Assume for a minute that Ted repented for his sins and scandals. Then the answer would be to afford him a dignified, Catholic private funeral, rather than allowing a Mass to be hijacked as a political hagiography.
Cardinal O’Malley’s excuses for allowing that circus still ring hollow all these years later, that somehow we should allow his political agendas to be portrayed as the pursuit of “social justice”.
Yes, Bishop of Wilmington, by all means. Urge all 330 million Americans to pray for the health of the 82-year-old politician who has for decades supported the slaughter of innocent children by the millions. It would be a shame if something happened to him.
And would you mind if we said a Hail Mary as well for the souls of those millions upon millions of sweet, beautiful, funny children whom the 82-year-old politician and his party consigned to painful, lonely, brutal deaths? For decade after decade after decade?
You wouldn’t mind if we prayed for them, too, would you?
We should pray for all concerned & also for Mr. Biden’s repentance & salvation. In as far as he’s able to understand all that. I doubt he’s in the last stages of dementia but he’s not 100% either.
I guess I am a bad Christian. I feel no need or desire whatsoever to pray for the likes of Joe Biden or his ilk. I prefer to leave him to God’s judgment at this point.
While all people deserve our compassion, perhaps this curiously timed announcement by Biden, Inc. could be used not only as a call to prayer for well-heeled public figures, but also the unknown and isolated who are unknown to the public.