Biden trolled after he reverses ban and allows Catholic group's Memorial Day mass at national cemetery

PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA: The Knights of Columbus, a prominent Catholic fraternal service organization, will hold its annual Memorial Day Mass on May 27 at Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia. This comes after the Biden administration's National Park Service (NPS) reversed its initial decision and granted a permit following a legal threat.

Last week, the NPS denied the permit for the Knights of Columbus to hold their religious service at the cemetery, a tradition the group has upheld for the past 60 years. The denial led to a swift legal response from the Knights, who claimed the Biden administration was violating the First Amendment. They filed a temporary restraining order against the NPS, a move that was supported by Virginia's Republican Attorney General, Jason Miyares.

Joe Biden allows Catholic organization to gather at National Cemetery on Memorial Day

The legal pressure exerted by the Knights of Columbus and their supporters yielded results almost immediately. Just one day after the lawsuit was filed, the NPS reversed its decision and approved the permit. This quick turnaround was celebrated by the Knights and their legal team.

"We are grateful to the NPS for allowing the Knights to hold their service this Memorial Day," John Moran, Partner at McGuireWoods, said in a press release.

Attorney General Miyares, who had filed an amicus brief in the case, also expressed his satisfaction with the reversal.

"Within hours of my filing, the Biden Administration reversed course and will now allow the Knights of Columbus to gather at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery this Memorial Day. It’s shameful that they were denied in the first place," Miyares wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

First Liberty Institute, a legal organization that supported the Knights in their legal filing, praised the efforts of both Miyares and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.

"The Knights are thrilled that they will be able to exercise their religious beliefs and keep this honorable tradition alive. We appreciate the tremendous support of Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares in this case," Senior Counsel Roger Byron stated in a press release.

The Knights of Columbus have faced similar challenges in the past. This is the second consecutive year they were initially denied a permit to hold their Memorial Day Mass at the cemetery, where they have conducted the service for decades. According to the NPS, religious services and vigils have been classified as "demonstrations" since at least 1986 and are generally prohibited in national cemeteries.

The NPS rules state, "Conducting a special event or demonstration, whether spontaneous or organized, is prohibited except for official commemorative events conducted for Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and other dates designated by the superintendent as having special historic and commemorative significance to a particular national cemetery. Committal services are excluded from this restriction."

Despite this policy, attorneys for the Knights argued that they had been allowed to conduct a Mass or prayer service at the cemetery every Memorial Day until a recent policy change. Following the NPS's approval of the permit, the lawsuit filed in federal court was dropped, Fox News reported.

Joe Biden trolled after he backpedals on decision to deny Catholic group to hold mass

The NPS's initial denial and subsequent reversal of the permit have sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many expressing skepticism about the motives behind the Biden administration's decision to grant the permit following the legal threat.

"We know full well why they are backpedaling because they know that the election isn't going well for them. Fools to even think that we don’t know what they are doing. This administration hates religious freedom & free speech but adopts deviant behavior," one user posted on X.

"FOR VOTES! This never should have happened in the first place. Biden…the fake Catholic," another alleged.

"Thing [is] politicians will change their minds during election season," a comment read.

"He can't figure out who to pander to," someone else quipped.

"He just took a look at the polls," another chimed in.

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