America’s second Catholic president, Joe Biden, made no mention of Ash Wednesday this week for the first time during his presidency.
Biden, whose administration has previously referred to him as a devout Catholic, did not release a statement or a tweet marking the first day of the Lenten season, a day that many Christians and Roman Catholics recognize by attending mass and receiving ashes on their forehead. The White House press office previously released a statement in 2021 and the president’s official Twitter account made note of the day in 2022 and 2023 — though neither said anything about the start of Lent on Wednesday. (RELATED: ‘A Grave Scandal’: The Administration Of The Second Catholic President Won’t Stop Targeting The Church, Experts Warn)
“Today, I join Christians worldwide in observing Ash Wednesday. The Lenten season is a time for reflection and discernment and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to God and to one another,” Biden wrote in a tweet in 2023. “May we continue to keep the faith and look with hopeful hearts towards Easter.”
Biden reportedly attended Ash Wednesday mass and received ashes, a White House source told the Hill. Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation for Catholics, meaning they are not required to attend mass, though many go to receive the marking of ashes on their foreheads.
The president and First Lady Jill Biden walked out to view Valentine’s Day decorations on the North Lawn on Wednesday when Biden was asked what he would be giving up for the Lenten season.
“You guys,” Biden responded to the press.
Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine’s Day in 2024, and the president’s official Twitter account put out a tweet wishing the First Lady a happy Valentine’s Day.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
Happy Valentine’s, Jilly. pic.twitter.com/AIzC2olpGU
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 14, 2024
In 2023, Biden recognized Ash Wednesday in Warsaw, attending a private mass in a hotel with a Polish priest, the Hill reported. The previous year, in 2022, Cardinal Wilton Gregory gave Biden his ashes during a private mass at the White House.
Biden also let the public know in 2022 that he would be giving up ice cream for lent, according to the Hill. The president did not say what he gave up in 2023.
President Joe Biden, with ashes on his forehead in honor of Ash Wednesday, speaks to reporters before boarding Marine One with First Lady Jill Biden on the South Lawn of the White House on March 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
During his childhood, Biden was taught by Catholic nuns and at one point considered joining the priesthood, the Washington Post reported. The president regularly attends mass and holds on to Rosary beads when making important decisions, a 2021 Washington Post article noted.
“I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic, and somebody who attends church regularly. He started his day attending church with his family this morning,” former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in 2021 after being asked about the president’s stance on abortion.