Biden speaks of Catholic teachings at blessed brunch

The White House brunch was a who's who of the Catholic Church in the US, with clerical collars and monk's robes dotted among the guests

President Joe Biden said St Patrick's Day has always been a special day for the Biden family.

There was a blessed breakfast of colcannon followed by shamrock cookies, as the White House fountain turned green for St Patrick’s Day.

After attending Mass to honour our patron saint, US president Joe Biden made use of a perfect day to attract the Irish-American vote — hosting a “brunch with Catholic leaders” in the East Room.

Almost one in 10 Americans claim Irish heritage but, when it comes to cultural and political outlook, the distance across the Atlantic is significantly widening.

In a week where the gulf of opinion on Israel was laid bare, the focus on Ireland as a country of saints rather than scholars was another example of how we are drifting apart.

Census 2022 showed the number of people in Ireland who describe themselves as Catholic dropped by 10 percentage points.

In the US, religion is still a significant identity marker and a political draw.

The White House brunch was a who’s who of the Catholic Church in the US, with clerical collars and monk’s robes dotted amongst the diners.

The event, which was attended by no fewer than than three Kennedys, was a new addition to the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Washington DC which this year was split in two — the Taoiseach meeting Mr Biden in the Oval Office on Thursday before returning for the shamrock ceremony last night.

After name-checking and expressing his love for a number of sisters, whom he dubbed “the nuns on the bus”, Mr Biden turned to his family: “This has always been a special day for the Biden family.”

'It’s not just about heritage but it really is about faith, so much about being Irish is connected to the Catholic teachings I grew up with.

“We are all created equal in the image of God.”

The 82-year-old then singled out his sister and “best friend in the world”, Valerie Biden, with a quip about his much-discussed age.

“Valarie used to be three years younger than me, now she’s 20 years younger. There’s no woman in the Biden household as old as any man in the household,” he said to laughs from the audience.

However, it was back to the overarching Catholic theme of the brunch gathering, when quoting his own mother, Mr Biden said that “as long as you’re alive, you have an obligation to strive and you are not done until you see the face of God”.

There was a further reference to Jesus and the apostles before Mr Biden handed over the stage to Papal Nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who blessed the brunch before guests tucked into eggs Florentine, colcannon, and Irish soda bread.

With Republican Donald Trump leading in the polls, Mr Biden will need all the prayers he can get — and perhaps some luck of the Irish — to cling onto the presidency come November’s elections.