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    Bishop's Letter On Covid Vaccine Exemption

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    Jo Manwel
    The Bishop provides guidance to clergy on assisting parishioners seeking religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine. He outlines that while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are morally acceptable due to the gravity of the pandemic, conscience objections to vaccination should be respected. Clergy can attest to an individual's baptism and practice of faith to support exemption requests, but cannot act on another's behalf or sign exemption forms for them due to conscience rights. The letter aims to clarify how clergy can support parishioners' conscience rights during this challenging time.

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    Bishop's Letter On Covid Vaccine Exemption

    Uploaded by

    Jo Manwel
    187 views2 pages
    The Bishop provides guidance to clergy on assisting parishioners seeking religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine. He outlines that while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are morally acceptable due to the gravity of the pandemic, conscience objections to vaccination should be respected. Clergy can attest to an individual's baptism and practice of faith to support exemption requests, but cannot act on another's behalf or sign exemption forms for them due to conscience rights. The letter aims to clarify how clergy can support parishioners' conscience rights during this challenging time.

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    parishioners requesting exemption covid vaccine mandate policy

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    Bishop's Letter on Covid Vaccine Exemption

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    The Bishop provides guidance to clergy on assisting parishioners seeking religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine. He outlines that while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are morally acceptable due to the gravity of the pandemic, conscience objections to vaccination should be respected. Clergy can attest to an individual's baptism and practice of faith to support exemption requests, but cannot act on another's behalf or sign exemption forms for them due to conscience rights. The letter aims to clarify how clergy can support parishioners' conscience rights during this challenging time.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    187 views2 pages

    Bishop's Letter On Covid Vaccine Exemption

    Uploaded by

    Jo Manwel
    The Bishop provides guidance to clergy on assisting parishioners seeking religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine. He outlines that while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are morally acceptable due to the gravity of the pandemic, conscience objections to vaccination should be respected. Clergy can attest to an individual's baptism and practice of faith to support exemption requests, but cannot act on another's behalf or sign exemption forms for them due to conscience rights. The letter aims to clarify how clergy can support parishioners' conscience rights during this challenging time.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    September 14, 2021

    Dear Monsignor/Father/Deacon,
    I am writing to offer assistance to you in addressing requests you may be receiving, to help
    parishioners or other faithful Catholics who are seeking a "religious exemption" from the COVID -19
    vaccine. I believe the following information may be useful in helping you address these requests.

    The USCCB Committee on Doctrine and on Pro-Life Activities has offered the statement - Moral
    Considerations Regarding the New COVID-19 Vaccines:
    "In view of the gravity of the current pandemic and the lack of availability of alternative vaccines, the
    reasons to accept the new COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are sufficiently serious to
    justify their use, despite their remote connection to morally compromised cell lines. In addition,
    receiving the COVID-19 vaccine ought to be understood as an act of charity toward the other members
    of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act
    of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good. The AstraZeneca
    vaccine is more morally compromised. The AstraZeneca vaccine should be avoided if there are
    alternatives available.”

    The National Catholic Bioethics Center offers the following:


    "The Church has consistently pointed out the ethical problems with vaccines produced and/or tested
    using abortion-derived cell lines. The Church has judged it permissible for people to either accept
    (under protest) or reject the use of such vaccines. In other words, there is no universal moral obligation
    to accept or refuse them, and it should be a voluntary decision of the individual."

    In its December 2020 “Note On The Morality Of Using Some Anti-Covid-19 Vaccines,” the
    Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated that:
    “vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation” and “therefore, it must be voluntary.”

    Given these perspectives, it is important for us to recognize and encourage the well-formed
    consciences of those who both desire the vaccine for themselves and the common good, as well as those
    who for health concerns or other reasons, may desire not to receive the vaccine.
    Many organizations and institutions are beginning to require the vaccine, and so in understanding
    conscience rights objections, we as leaders of our congregations, may be asked to assist Catholics in our
    parishes to pursue an exemption. It is important to understand that on the basis of conscience, it is not
    possible for anyone to act or speak on behalf of another person seeking an exemption.
    Such a conscience right’s request for exemption must come from the individual themselves by way of
    their own letter or the completion of an organization's form applying for exemption.

    In charity as priests and deacons, we should help to support the conscience rights of our Catholic
    faithful on this and all matters. We can do this by attesting to their Sacramental Baptism and the
    "practicing" of their Catholic faith, as a separate letter or statement, to support their letter or request for
    religious exemption, but not to compose or sign a letter or form ourselves.

    These issues are very challenging for our faithful people, and I hope the clarification of these points on
    what we can do, and what is beyond our scope of responsibility, is helpful to you as these requests may
    arise among our good people in the future. May God grant you continuing wisdom and charity in all that
    you do!

    Sincerely in Christ,

    Most Reverend William D. Byrne


    Bishop of Springfield

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