Biden sparks fury with the Catholic Church for 'despicable' gesture while 'blessing' abortion in Florida

President Joe Biden sparked backlash from pro-life Catholics after he made the Sign of the Cross on Tuesday while listening to a speech about limits on abortion.

Biden made the gesture during a campaign organizing event in Florida with Nikki Fried, the Democratic candidate for governor running against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

During her opening remarks, Fried expressed outrage at DeSantis for signing a ban on abortions over six weeks.

'Then we come back here to the state of Florida where Ron DeSantis felt like he needed to run for president and so 15 weeks was not good enough,' Fried said. 'And then we had to go to six weeks.'

Biden reacted to her statement by making the Sign of the Cross.

President Joe Biden speaks during an organizing event as Nikki Fried laughs

Joe Biden raises his hand to make the Sign of the Cross

US President Joe Biden speaks to two children while meeting with campaign volunteers and supporters 

The president's gesture angered politically active Catholics on the issue of abortion.

'Biden's decision to make the Sign of the Cross in support of abortion extremism is a despicable charade that attempts to co-opt a sacred practice in support of his new abortion religion,' Catholic Vote President Brian Burch said to the Washington Examiner, calling Biden 'terribly naive, or senile, or callously indifferent' to Christians on the issue of abortion.

Catholic Vote posted the clip of the moment on social media which shocked and angered Christians and Catholics.  

'Absolutely vile, pray for the soul of our president, he is a feeble old man, he needs to prepare to meet his maker…' wrote Catholic Bishop Joseph Strickland on social media. 

Catholic bishop Joseph Strickland speaks at a protest rally 

Supporters of US President Joe Biden cheer as they await his speech about abortion rights

The president, who describes himself as a practicing Catholic, makes the Sign of the Cross on occasion while speaking in public to lighten the mood, either to show the audience he is about to say something awful about someone out of anger or frustration or that he needs God's blessing.

In November, Biden made the Sign of the Cross while mentioning former President Donald Trump, interrupting his speech to suggest he needed absolved for his sinful thoughts about the president.

Biden also made the Sign of the Cross during a September meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, after he remarked the two of them had been friends for 40 years, appearing to be a joke about his age.

'We've been friends for, I've checked it, over 40 years,' Netanyahu said, prompting Biden to make the Sign of the Cross.

U.S. President Joe Biden, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Republican Representative from Georgia Marjorie Taylor Greene (2-L) looks on as US President Joe Biden (R) arrives to the House Chamber of the US Capitol

In February 2023, Biden made the Sign of the Cross after he referenced Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

'I'm going to be good. I'm going to be good,' he told the audience who laughed at his gesture.

But the president's religious gesture during a discussion on abortion puzzled and angered Catholics who expressed their outrage on social media. 

'This is a complete mockery of God,' Student for Life president Kristan Hawkins wrote on social media. 'EVERY Catholic should be calling this EVIL out.'

Other Christians reacted in horror to Biden's gesture.

'Demonic: Joe Biden makes the sign of the cross at a pro-abortion rally,' wrote William Wolfe, the Executive Director for the Center for Baptist Leadership. 'When I say evil spiritual forces are at play in his administration, I mean it.'

Fried said Democrats were the 'last line of defense' against Trump and Republicans after the Supreme Court repealed Roe V. Wade and Biden agreed.

'This extreme Florida law is going to impact 4 million women in the state,' he said. 'Let's be real clear. There's one person responsible for this nightmare. And he's acknowledged, and he brags about it — Donald Trump.'