(CNN) Former Vice President Joe Biden was denied communion Sunday at a Catholic church in South Carolina over his support for abortion rights.

Father Robert Morey, the pastor at Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, told the Florence Morning News that he had denied Biden communion because "any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching."

"Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that," Morey said in an email to the newspaper. He said that "as a priest, it is my responsibility to minister to those souls entrusted to my care, and I must do so even in the most difficult situations. I will keep Mr. Biden in my prayers."

Morey did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on Tuesday. Biden declined to address the matter Tuesday on MSNBC.

"I am not going to discuss that. That is just my personal life," he said.

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