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Coronavirus Vaccine and the Catholic Church

By Father Ed White

The controversies and confusion surrounding the coronavirus vaccines have forced me to write something to clarify the Church's moral position and encourage you to study the issue, both from a natural and supernatural perspective, so that you can make an informed decision regarding taking the vaccine. I write this with the qualification that I am neither an expert in moral theology, nor in biology, nor do I have sufficient time to do this topic justice, but as a pastor I owe it to you to make sure you are getting as much truth and information as possible to guide your thinking and decision-making.

The US Bishops have judged that it is morally permissible, with some qualifications, to accept the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, despite their having used aborted fetal cell lines in some of the testing of the vaccine. The AstraZeneca vaccine, however, is "more morally compromised” and “should be avoided." AstraZeneca apparently uses aborted fetal cells in the production of their vaccine. [An excellent assessment of the various vaccines approved and in process can be found at https://lozierinstitute.org/updatecovid-19-vaccine-candidates-and-abortion-derived-cell-lines/]

The moral qualifications that the Bishops define are these:
1) "A serious health danger" must be present to justify use of “a vaccine which was developed using cell lines of illicit origin..." and that
2) "Everyone has the duty to make known their disagreement and to ask that their healthcare system make other types of vaccines available."

Those working and living with vulnerable populations are well aware of the "serious health danger" that they are exposed to. The higher the risk the more justification and urgency is granted in taking these vaccines. Please remember, however, that you must take the vaccines mentioned "under protest" [my quotes], and "make known your disagreement" to your health provider. [See their moral reasoning and references below.]

There are some dissenting voices amongst US Bishops, namely Bishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas, who states, "I cannot in good conscience receive a vaccine that has been produced using an aborted child." [Link below] He urges his people to wait for an ethically produced vaccine. The more people who raise an objection increase the likelihood of a "clean" vaccine. Again, he is not our bishop here in Western Washington, so there is no juridical authority proposed here. But I do believe we should form our consciences by hearing a full range of voices when it concerns a grave matter such as this.

I want to offer a third, and important qualification, simply from a health standpoint. Again, I am not a virologist, but there is disagreement amongst scientists, which is a normal part of a healthy process of learning. Here is my additional qualification:
3) There are serious concerns regarding the safety of these vaccines that are being edited out (censored) by Google and other media outlets. I haven't had time to research those. Please do so if you can.

Censorship concerns me. Who made Google the arbiter of truth? Normal scientific debate is open and unhindered. Often an issue like this is grappled with by point and counterpoint, accompanied by research that contradicts or improves another's findings. The urgency and the quantity of money being hastily thrown at pharmaceutical companies does not promote objectivity. These companies have also sought and been released from much of the liability due to side effects.

The Washington State Bishops do dismiss any serious health risks in taking the vaccine, saying that while, "It is not uncommon to experience minor side effects from being vaccinated...the benefits from the vaccine exceed the burden." Initial warnings of side effects should be noted, however, especially of anaphylactic shock, which cannot be considered "minor side effects." Long-term effects are unknown. The younger the recipient the more dangerous this can become. I personally fall into the highly allergic category and would be at a higher risk of a side effect.

The reality is that you must make your own choice, based on your conscience and all the information that you can gather to make an informed decision. Like much of life, there is risk and reward to be weighed. I encourage you to not blindly follow the media, nor the government, in making your decision. Discern what the Lord is calling you to do with prudence and care. Any coercion on the part of the government or media should be resisted. With the Lord, we should have no fear. Form your conscience well and proceed with peace.


Associated Links from Fr Ed’s Article Regarding Corona Virus Vaccines

Statement of the US Bishops:
https://www.usccb.org/moral-considerations-covid-vaccines

Statement of Washington State Bishops:
https://www.wacatholics.org/_ui/img/heros/The-Washingto-State-Catholic-ConferenceCatholic-Charities-and-Catholic-Health-Care-Support-COVID-19-Vaccinations.pdf

Statement of Bishop Strickland:
https://stphilipinstitute.org/2020/12/08/bishop-stricklands-letter-regarding-a-stand-for-an-ethical-covid-19-vaccine/