Dr. Anthony Fauci, the esteemed former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and current Distinguished University Professor at Georgetown University, recently opened up about his personal faith and decision to distance himself from traditional religious practices.
This revelation came during an interview with BBC's Katy Kay, conducted on the scenic grounds of Georgetown University.
The conversation took an intimate turn when Dr. Fauci pointed out Dahlgren Chapel, a significant landmark where he and his wife Christine exchanged their wedding vows. "That's where you were married?" Kay inquired, to which Fauci responded affirmatively, a hint of nostalgia evident in his voice. Kay, appreciating the beauty of the chapel, received a simple agreement from Fauci.
However, when the topic shifted to his current religious practices, Fauci's response was unequivocal: "No." Upon being asked if he no longer practiced, Fauci confirmed, "No." Kay, seeking to understand the reasons behind this decision, probed further. Fauci, in response, cited "a number of complicated reasons."
According to Fauci, his "own personal ethics" are sufficient to guide him on the right path. He elaborated, "First of all, I think my own personal ethics on life areI thinkenough to keep me going on the right path. And I think that there are enough negative aspects about the organizational church that youre very well aware of. Im not against it."
Despite distancing himself from religious practices, Fauci still identifies as a Catholic. He was raised in the faith, baptized, confirmed, and married in the church, and his children were also baptized in the church. However, he views practicing as a pro forma act that he doesn't need to engage in.
Fauci's comments about his personal religious practices have sparked a flurry of reactions on social media platforms. One user humorously suggested that Fauci's new role as a "messiah figure" for a competing religion made practicing his faith awkward. Another user, Kanekoa, sarcastically referred to Fauci as "Saint Fauci" and "the science."
These comments allude to a previous statement by Fauci, where he suggested that criticism against him equates to an attack on science itself.
"If you are trying to get at me as a public health official and a scientist, youre really attacking, not only Dr. Anthony Fauci, you are attacking science," Fauci said during an interview with MSNBC. He reiterated this sentiment in a separate interview with CBS "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan, stating that criticisms against him are essentially criticisms against science, which he represents, and he deemed this as "dangerous."
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