As a Church we have been praying for months for deliverance from the medical, social and economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, through the wisdom and grace of God acting through scientists, a vaccine is becoming available to us. While this should be joyous news, some are expressing concerns and reservations about receiving it. Where does the Church stand on the COVID-19 vaccines? Recent statements from Rome and the U.S. clearly show approval, support and encouragement for vaccination.
If you want good company, Pope Francis says he will get a vaccination. In a Jan. 10 interview with Italian television, the pope said he has already scheduled his vaccination. He called opposition to the vaccine “suicidal denial” and he urged vaccination for all. “It is the moral choice because it is about your life but also the lives of others.” Earlier, in his Christmas message, Pope Francis urged “vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet.” A December statement from the Vatican’s doctrinal office, approved by the pope, also noted “it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines.”
U.S. bishops are also supporting vaccination against COVID-19. In a Dec. 14th statement, the chairmen of the bishop’s doctrine and pro-life committees said that not only was it morally acceptable to receive the vaccine, “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.”
Our Church leaders support and urge vaccination “as an act of charity toward the other members of our community.” Let us follow their messages and their lead as an act of Christian charity – for ourselves, our families, our country and the world.
John P. Langlois, MD, is a member of St. Eugene Parish in Asheville.
I appreciate and applaud the Catholic News Herald’s recent coverage of racism, including the commentaries by Deacon Clarke Cochran. As a cradle Catholic who is white, male and elderly, I am becoming increasingly aware of my privilege in this society. I accept personally that “Racism is a … deep and persistent infestation in (American) society” – as Deacon Cochran wrote in his Nov. 20 commentary entitled “Responding as Catholics to systemic racism.”
Among other privileges, I am able to ignore the negative impacts of racism, while persons of color and lesser financial means struggle daily with fear, rejection, and a lack of material and societal resources.
Jerome Wagner is a member of St. James the Greater Church in Concord.