These past 12 months have been challenging for all of us. Although not as devastating as medieval plagues, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our lives in ways we may not yet fully understand. In such times, there are both temptations and graces, challenges and opportunities. The church seeks to assist all people of good will in responding to this situation in a charitable, responsible, reasonable and safe way.

For this reason, Archbishop Etienne established the COVID-19 Rapid Response Team very early in the pandemic, in late February 2020. Due to the team’s extensive involvement in helping navigate the challenges of this past year, I asked them to join me in writing this month’s column.

In recent days, the COVID-19–associated death toll rose above 4,000 per day in our country. While non-pharmaceutical interventions — such as mask wearing, physical distancing and gathering limits — are successful in “flattening the curve,” they can demoralize, exhaust and disconnect us. To expedite the return to normal life through so-called “herd immunity,” we are encouraged to vaccinate. There are ethical, medical and moral ramifications to both sides of that decision.

While the purpose of this article is to address some perceived obstacles to the vaccine, I also want to acknowledge that this has been a very difficult year for many of us. I hope you know of the church’s efforts to continue pastoral and sacramental ministry to the faithful so that you might know the presence of Jesus with you. We will continue these efforts to the best of our ability. Jesus alone gives us immunity from the most serious ailment: sin. He alone is the healer and redeemer for all that afflicts us.

What are the ethical and moral concerns about vaccines?

Cells from two fetuses aborted more than 40 years ago have sometimes been used in the design, development, testing or production phases of various vaccines over the years. This is a morally repugnant and scientifically unnecessary practice. Every Catholic has the duty to protest this practice and request the ethical design, development and production of vaccines.

Knowing all this, are vaccines morally acceptable for Catholics? 

Yes. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has said that “when ethically irreproachable COVID-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.” In the context of the grave danger posed by the pandemic, the CDF adds, “all vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive.”

We do have an obligation to request vaccines that were not developed using fetal cells, when possible. Regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, the Pfizer and Moderna products have a far more remote connection to the use of fetal cells than the AstraZeneca vaccine. Therefore, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are morally preferable to the AstraZeneca vaccine, if we have the choice.

In his Christmas Day message, Pope Francis called vaccines a “light of hope” for all, “especially the most vulnerable.” In a January interview, the pope said, “I think everyone must take the vaccine; it’s the ethical option because you are playing with your health, life, but you also are playing with the lives of others.”

Both Pope Francis and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI received COVID vaccinations in January.

After receiving his own COVID vaccination on January 16, Archbishop Etienne said, “I encourage everyone to participate in this vaccination process, not just for personal health reasons, but out of care and concern for the good of others.”

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne receives the COVID-19 vaccine January 16. Photo: Dougal Hewitt

Then is it a sin not to receive the vaccine? 

Not necessarily. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith notes that vaccination must be voluntary. A Catholic can, in good conscience, elect not to receive a vaccine. At the same time, as I mentioned at the outset, there are a growing number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, either directly from the virus or from associated consequences like reduced access to medical care, loss of work, suicide and domestic violence.

The end of a pandemic will normally require achieving “herd immunity,” where a very high percentage of the population, perhaps exceeding 80–85%, has either recovered from the virus or been immunized for it. As of early this year, only about 7% of the U.S. population had tested positive for the virus, which means we are far from herd immunity based on natural infection.

If we do not achieve a high rate of vaccination, the pandemic will drag on longer, causing additional suffering and death. So, while abstaining from a vaccine is not in itself sinful, we should consider that such a choice prolongs the period of suffering until herd immunity is achieved. And, as the CDF notes, “the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one’s own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good.”

The CDF also makes the important point that those who, “for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent. In particular, they must avoid any risk to the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons, and who are the most vulnerable.”

Refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine while simultaneously ignoring masking and social distancing guidelines is not a moral option for Catholics.

As with any crisis, we rely on a well-formed conscience to assess the pros and cons, risks and benefits. The purpose of this article is to clearly state that it is morally acceptable to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. Any other questions you may have regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines should be discussed with a competent medical authority. Ω

The Archdiocese of Seattle’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team includes Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg, Helen McClenahan, Nicholas Schoen, Ed Foster, Terri Fewel and Caitlin McKinzie.

 

Caitlin McKinzie.