President Joe Biden, who claims to be a devout Catholic, said Friday he did not believe that life begins at conception, contradicting a key teaching of the Catholic church.

“I respect those who believe life begins at the moment of conception and all … I respect that. Don’t agree. But I respect that,” Biden said to reporters after a speech at the White House.

Biden was asked about the new pro-life bill in Texas banning abortions of unborn children in the womb with a heartbeat.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.”

“From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life,” the Catechism reads.