Joe Biden Hosts Kennedy Family (Minus RFK Jr.) for St. Patrick's Day

"From one proud Irish family to another — it was good to have you all back at the White House," wrote Biden of the gathering

It was a Kennedy family affair at the White House over the weekend, as President Joe Biden hosted more than a dozen members of the family in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, shared a photo of the family at the White House on Sunday, captioning the image with a quote she attributed to Biden: “It’s not enough to wish the world were better, you must make the world better."

"President Biden, you make the world better. Happy St. Patrick’s Day," she added, tagging other members of the family also pictured, including Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo (her daughter with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo) and sister Rory Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy III — RFK's grandson and currently Biden's special envoy to Northern Ireland — also shared the photo to X, writing, “Small family gathering this afternoon!”

Biden himself re-shared the photo, writing in his own post on X: "From one proud Irish family to another — it was good to have you all back at the White House."

Notably absent from the White House festivities was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is currently challenging Biden for the presidency as an independent in the 2024 race.

Kerry and Rory are among four of Robert Jr.'s siblings who issued a statement denouncing his candidacy when he switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent last October.

"The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country," begins the statement, which was signed by Rory Kennedy, Kerry, Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

The statement continued, "Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today's announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country."

Related: Biden 'Hugely Popular' Among Kennedy Relatives, Says Source, as RFK Jr. Launches 2024 Campaign (Exclusive)

Biden is the second Irish Catholic president in United States history. The first was John F. Kennedy.

Over the years, Biden has connected with multiple members of the Kennedy family on their shared Catholic faith, familiarity with loss and, of course, politics. In July 2022, Biden appointed JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Australia.

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But as a source told PEOPLE last April, the two political families have found themselves in an interesting place following RFK Jr.'s presidential campaign launch, particularly as some critics worry that his campaign as an Independent could pull votes from Biden's own reelection campaign.

Strains among RFK Jr. and his sibling have been apparent, too as he has very publicly espoused anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, and spread misinformation about vaccinations both before — and during — the COVID-19 pandemic.

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