Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, has made a fleeting visit to New Zealand.
He is the first Catholic vice president of the United States.
Biden is more comfortable than most politicians in talking about how his Catholicism has affected his life and his views.
In his campaign book in 2008 Biden wrote, “My idea of self, of family, of community, of the wider world comes straight from my religion.”
He says his beliefs are very important to him and have helped get him through the toughest tragedies, including the tragic death of his first wife and daughter, and the death many years late of his son Beau.
On a recent visit to Ireland he attended Sunday morning Mass at St Peter’s Church, Phibsborough.
Last year, Biden had Air Force Two touchdown in Shannon Airport for a stopover en route to Washington after visiting Ukraine.
The vice president had requested a Mass be held in the airport chapel on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation.
He carries rosary beads everywhere he goes (and loses them often, but replaces them).
In 2012 Biden told the National Review that he had been a practicing Catholic his whole life. “And it has particularly informed my social doctrine. Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who — who can’t take care of themselves, people who need help.”
He added that he did not believe in imposing his views on others or using laws to force people of different faiths to conform to his own beliefs.
Biden began his political career as a pro-life Democrat but like many other Catholic Democrats, including Ted Kennedy and Ed Muskie, he changed his mind after Roe v. Wade. “Well, I was 29 years old when I came to the US Senate, and I have learned a lot,” Biden said, explaining his switch.
“Look, I’m a practicing Catholic, and it is the biggest dilemma for me in terms of comporting my religious and cultural views with my political responsibility.”
Biden became the highest-ranking government official to endorse same-sex marriage in 2012 during an appearance on “Meet the Press”
He has never had a drink of alcohol in his life due to alcoholism running in his family.
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News category: New Zealand.
