Biden meets McConnell and Pelosi at church ahead of inauguration

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President-elect Joe Biden is at church for a pre-inauguration service, where he is joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a demonstration of national unity.

Joined by the arrival of First Lady Jill Biden, the 46th Commander-in-Chief was taken in by the Secret Service from Blair House, the White House guesthouse where the couple stayed on Tuesday night, and left for St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral.

Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and new Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are also present for the ceremony.

The Washington DC church will be the new president’s only stop before his inauguration ceremony, which he will attend directly after the service.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden (C) and arriving First Lady Jill Biden attend mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral in Washington, DC.AFP via Getty Images

Biden invited Sen. McConnell (R-Ky.), Senator Schumer (D-NY), President Pelosi (D-Calif.) And Representative McCarthy (R-Calif.) To join him at the downtown cathedral. city of DC in an effort to begin healing partisan wounds across the country, a commitment from the new president throughout his campaign.

US President-elect Joe Biden (left) and new first lady Jill Biden attend mass with family members and congressional leaders at St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral in Washington, DC

Sources confirmed to the Post on Tuesday that House and Senate leaders have accepted the new president’s invitation.

President Trump, meanwhile, will not be present at the church service or inauguration, making him the first president to skip the ceremony in more than 150 years.

Also in attendance are members of the Biden and Harris families, all of whom were seen entering the Washington Church shortly before 9 a.m. ET.

Left to right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his wife Iris Weinshall and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attend mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral on the day of the inauguration. — Left to right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his wife Iris Weinshall and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attend mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral on the day of the inauguration.

Biden’s transition said on Wednesday morning that Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) And House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) Would also be attending the case in their capacity as Joint Committee chairs of Congress on the inaugural ceremonies.

Mass is held in a Catholic parish because of Biden’s Catholic faith. He will be the second Catholic president, preceded by John F. Kennedy.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao attend mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral on inauguration day.

Father Kevin O’Brien, who is also president of the University of Santa Clara, delivers the homily and the St. Augustine choir performs.

Presidents who attend church before taking the oath is not an uncommon practice. Former Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all attended services on the morning of their inaugurations.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, left, and her husband Paul Pelosi attend mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral.

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