Joe Biden’s Catholic Roots

The son of working-class Irish Catholics, Joe Biden was educated at a Catholic prep school. Barack Obama's running mate briefly considered the priesthood before turning to politics and eventually becoming a Democratic senator from Delaware. Biden still attends Mass each week but supports abortion rights, putting him at odds with the church leadership. He even voted in favor of a bill to ban late-term abortions. A Pew Research poll shows that 44% of those who attend Catholic Mass each week say abortion is a very important issue in the presidential race.