USCCB: Moderna’s and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccines ethically preferable to Johnson & Johnson’s
The statement was signed by Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, who head the USCCB committees on doctrine and pro-life activities, respectively.
CNA Staff, Mar 3, 2021 / 03:19 pm (CNA).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Tuesday reiterated the Vatican’s teaching on COVID-19 vaccines produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines, after a vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson received FDA approval over the weekend.
The bishops echoed the Vatican in stating that it is “morally acceptable” to receive COVID-19 vaccines produced using cell lines from aborted fetuses when no alternative is available, but if possible, Catholics ought to choose a vaccine with a more remote connection to abortion.
“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged 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,’” the bishops wrote in a March 2 statement.
That description applies to the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which used abortion-derived HEK-293 cell lines in design and development, production, and lab testing.
In contrast, mRNA vaccines available from Pfizer and Moderna have an extremely remote connection to abortion in the design and testing phases, leading ethicists to judge those vaccines “ethically uncontroversial.”
“[I]f one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.”
The statement was signed by Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, who head the USCCB committees on doctrine and pro-life activities, respectively.
“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good,” the bishops concluded.
The USCCB’s clarification follows a Feb. 26 statement from the Archdiocese of New Orleans calling the Johnson & Johnson vaccine “morally compromised” because of its connection with abortion.
While not prohibiting Catholics from receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine if no other ethical alternative is available, the archdiocese advised Catholics to seek out the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines if possible.
“[W]e advise that if the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine is available, Catholics should choose to receive either of those vaccines rather than to receive the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of its extensive use of abortion-derived cell lines,” the statement reads.
Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge also weighed in on the matter this week in a March 1 letter to the faithful.
“[M]y guidance to the faithful of the Diocese of Baton Rouge is to accept as your first choices the vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna, but if for any reasonable circumstance you are only able to receive the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, you should feel free to do so for your safety and for the common good,” Bishop Duca wrote.
By contrast, Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego wrote March 3 that “on the concrete moral and pastoral question of receiving the Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson or Astra-Zeneca vaccines, I want to make clear to the Catholic communities of San Diego and Imperial Counties that in the current pandemic moment, with limited vaccine options available to achieve healing for our nation and our world, it is entirely morally legitimate to receive any of these four vaccines, and to recognize, as Pope Francis has noted, that in receiving them we are truly showing love for our neighbor and our God.”
Many vaccines are produced by using certain human cell lines; common vaccines, including those used to inoculate children for smallpox, measles, and rubella, have been produced with cell lines derived from aborted babies, such as the HEK-293 cell line.
One of the touted advantages of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it does not require specialized refrigeration and can be delivered in a single dose, making it more attractive to some healthcare professionals than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Those vaccines require deep freeze storage and are administered in two doses.
The Pontifical Academy for Life has said that Catholics should advocate for ethically-produced vaccines which do not use cell lines of aborted babies.
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 12, 2022 / 13:25 pm (CNA).
The archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas condemned the recent attack on a local Catholic church ahead of the state’s vote on a pro-life a… […]
Maureen McKinley milks one of her family’s goats in their backyard with help from three of her children, Madeline (behind), Fiona and Augustine on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021. McKinley and her family own two goats, chickens, a rabbit, and a dog. / Jake Kelly
Denver Newsroom, Aug 10, 2021 / 16:32 pm (CNA).
With five children ages 10 and under to care for, and a pair of goats, a rabbit, chickens and a dog to tend to, Maureen and Matt McKinley rely on a structured routine to keep their busy lives on track.
Chores, nap times, scheduled story hours – they’re all important staples of their day. But the center of the McKinleys’ routine, what focuses their family life and strengthens their Catholic faith, they say, is the Traditional Latin Mass.
Its beauty, reverence, and timelessness connect them to a rich liturgical legacy that dates back centuries.
“This is the Mass that made so many saints throughout time,” observes Maureen, 36, a parishioner at Mater Misericordiæ Catholic Church in Phoenix.
“You know what Mass St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Therese, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Augustine were attending? The Traditional Latin Mass,” Maureen says.
“We could have a conversation about it, and we would have all experienced the exact same thing,” she says. “That’s exciting.”
Recent developments in the Catholic Church, however, have curbed some of that excitement. On July 16, Pope Francis released a motu proprio titled Traditiones custodis, or “Guardians of the Tradition”, that has cast doubt on the future of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) – and deeply upset and confused many of its devotees.
Pope Francis’ directive rescinds the freedom Pope Benedict XVI granted to priests 14 years ago to say Masses using the Roman Missal of 1962, the form of liturgy prior to Vatican II, without first seeking their bishop’s approval. Under the new rules, bishops now have the “exclusive competence” to decide where, when, and whether the TLM can be said in their dioceses.
In a letter accompanying the motu proprio, Pope Francis maintains that the faculties granted to priests by his predecessor have been “exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the peril of division.”
Using the word “unity” a total of 15 times in the accompanying letter, the pope suggests that attending the TLM is anything but unifying, going so far as to correlate a strong personal preference for such masses with a rejection of Vatican II.
Weeks later, many admirers of the “extraordinary” form of the Roman rite – the McKinleys among them – are still struggling to wrap their minds and hearts around the pope’s order, and the pointed tone he used to deliver it.
Maureen McKinley says she had never considered herself a “traditionalist Catholic” before. Instead, she says she and her husband have just “always moved toward the most reverent way to worship and the best way to teach our children.”
“It didn’t feel like I became a particular type of Catholic by going to Mater Misericordiæ. But since the motu proprio came out, I feel like I have been categorized, like I was something different, something other than the rest of the Church,” she says.
“It feels like our Holy Father doesn’t understand this whole group of people who love our Lord so much.”
McKinley isn’t alone in feeling this way. Sadness, anger, frustration, and disbelief are some common themes in conversations among those who regularly attend the TLM.
They want to understand and support the Holy Father, but they also see the restriction as unnecessary, especially when plenty of other more pressing issues in the Church abound.
Eric Matthews, another Mater Misericordiæ parishioner, views the new restrictions as an “attack on devout Catholic culture,” citing the beauty that exists across the rites recognized within the Church. There are seven rites recognized in the Catholic Church: Latin, Byzantine, Alexandrian or Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean.
“It’s the same Mass,” says Matthews, 39, who first discovered the TLM about eight years ago. “It’s just different languages, different cultures, but the people that you have there are there for the right reasons.”
Eric and Geneva Matthews with their four children. / Narissa Lowicki
Different paths to the TLM
The pope’s motu proprio directly affects a tiny fraction of U.S. Catholics – perhaps as few as 150,000, or less than 1 percent of some 21 million regular Mass-goers, according to some estimates. According to one crowd-sourced database, only about 700 venues – compared to over 16,700 parishes nationwide – offer the TLM.
Also, since the motu proprio’s release July 16, only a handful of bishops have stopped the TLM in their dioceses. Of those bishops who have made public responses, most are allowing the Masses to continue as before – in some cases because they see no evidence of disunity, and in others because they need more time to study the issue.
But for those who feel drawn to the TLM – for differing reasons that have nothing to do with a rejection of Vatican II – it feels as if the ground has shifted under their feet.
Maureen McKinley wants her children to understand the importance of hard work, of which they have no shortage when it comes to their urban farm. After morning prayer, Maureen milks the family’s goats with the help of the children. Madeline (age 10) feeds the bunny; Augustine (7) exercises the dog; John (6) checks for eggs from the chickens; and Michael (4) helps anyone he chooses.
With a noisy clatter in the kitchen, the McKinleys eat breakfast, tidy up their rooms, and begin their daily activities. They break at 11 a.m. to head to daily Mass at Mater Misericordiæ, an apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), where they first attended two years ago.
Matt, 34, wanted to know how the early Christians worshipped.
“The funny thing about converts is they’re always wanting more,” says Maureen, who was, at first, a little resistant to the idea of attending the TLM because she didn’t know Latin. “Worship was a big part of his conversion.”
Maureen agreed to follow her husband’s lead, and they continued to attend the TLM. What kept them coming back week after week was the reverence for the Eucharist.
“Matt had a really hard time watching so many people receive communion in the hand at the other parish,” says Maureen. “He says he didn’t want our kids to think that that was the standard. That’s the exception to the rule, not the rule.”
Reverence in worship also drew Elizabeth Sisk to the TLM. A 28-year-old post-anesthesia care unit nurse, she attends both the Novus Ordo, the Mass promulgated by St. Paul VI in 1969, and the extraordinary form in Raleigh, North Carolina, where her parish, the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, offers the TLM on the first Sunday of the month.
Sisk has noticed recently that more people in her area — especially young people who are converts to Catholicism — are attending both forms of the Mass. While the Novus Ordo is what brought many of them, herself included, to the faith, she feels that the extraordinary form invites them to go deeper.
“We want to do something radical with our lives,” Sisk says. “To be Catholic right now as a young person is a really radical decision. I think the people who choose to be Catholic right now, we’re all in. We don’t want ‘watered-down’ Catholicism.”
Elizabeth Sisk stands in front of Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina.
With the lack of Christian values in the world today, Sisk desires “something greater,” which she says she can tell is happening in the TLM.
Many TLM parishes saw an increase in attendance during the pandemic, as they were often the only churches open while many others shut their doors or held Masses outside. This struck some as controversial, if not disobedient to the local government. For others, it was a saving grace to have access to the sacraments.
The priests at Erin Hanson’s parish obtained permission from the local bishop to celebrate Mass all day, every day, with 10 parishioners at a time during the height of the COVID pandemic.
“We were being told by the world that church is not necessary,” says Hanson, a 39-year-old mother of three. “Our priest says, ‘No, that’s a lie. Our church is essential. Our salvation is essential. The sacraments are essential.’”
Andy Stevens, 52, came into the Church through the TLM, much to the surprise of his wife, Emma, who had been a practicing Catholic for many years. Andy was “very adamantly not going to become Catholic,” but was happy to help Emma with their children at Mass. It wasn’t until they attended a TLM that Andy began to think differently about the Church.
“He believed that you die and then there is nothing, and he never really spoke to me about becoming a Catholic,” says Emma, 48, who was pregnant with their seventh child at the time.
Andy noticed an intense focus among the worshippers, which he recognized as a “real presence of God” that he didn’t see anywhere else. After the birth of their 7th child, he joined the Church.
All 12 of the Stevens’ children prefer the TLM to the Novus Ordo.
Emma and Andy Stevens with their 12 children in Oxford, England.
“It’s a Mass of the ages,” says their eldest son, Ryan, 27. “I can feel the veil between heaven and earth palpably thinner.”
A native of Chicago, Adriel Gonzalez, 33, remembers attending the TLM as a child, which he did not particularly like. It was “very long, very boring,” and the people who went to the TLM were “very stiff and they could come off as judgmental” towards his family, he says.
Gonzalez, who also attended Mass in Spanish with his family, didn’t understand the differences among rites, since Chicago was a sort of “salad bowl, ethnically,” he says, and Mass was celebrated in many languages and forms.
He took a step back from faith for some time, he says, noting that he had a “respectability issue” with the Christianity he grew up with. He watched as some of his friends were either thoughtless in the way they practiced their faith, or were “on fire,” but lacked intentionality. When he did come back to the faith, it was through learning about the Church’s intellectual tradition.
He spent time in monasteries and Eastern Catholic parishes with the Divine Liturgy because there was “something so obviously ancient about it.” He decided to stay within the Roman rite with a preference for a reverent Novus Ordo.
When he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, Gonzalez committed to his neighborhood parish, which had a strong contingent of people who loved tradition in general. The parish instituted a TLM in the fall of 2020, when they started having Mass indoors again after the pandemic.
Hallie and Adriel Gonzalez.
“If I’m at a Latin Mass, I’m more likely to get a sense that this is a time-honored practice, something that has been honed over the millennia,” he says. “There is clearly a love affair going on here with the Lord that requires this much more elaborate song and dance.”
For Eric Matthews, the TLM feels a little like time travel.
“It could be medieval times, it could be the enlightenment period, it could be the early 1900s, and the experience is going to be so similar,” he says.
“I just feel like that’s that universal timeframe – not just the universal Church in 2021 – but the universal Church in almost any time period. We’re the only church that can claim that.”
What happens now?
The motu proprio caught Adriel Gonzalez’ attention. He sought clarity about whether his participation in the extraordinary form was, in fact, part of a divisive movement, or simply an expression of his faith.
If it was a movement, he wanted no part of it, he says.
“As far as I can tell, the Church considers the extraordinary form and the ordinary form equal and valid,” says Gonzalez. “Ideally, there should be no true difference between going to one or the other, outside of just preference. It shouldn’t constitute a completely different reality within Catholicism.”
With this understanding, Gonzalez says he resonated with some of the reasoning set forth in the motu proprio because it articulated that the celebration of the TLM was never intended to be a movement away from the Novus Ordo or Vatican II. Gonzalez also emphasized that the extraordinary form was never supposed to be a “superior” way of celebrating the Mass.
Gonzalez believes the Lord allowed the growth in the TLM “to help us to recover a love for liturgy, and to ask questions about what worship and liturgy looks like.” He would have preferred if what was good was kept and encouraged, and what was potentially dangerous “coaxed out and called out.”
Mater Misericordæ Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona. / Viet Truong
Erin Hanson, of Mater Misericordiæ, agrees.
“If [Pope Francis] does believe there is division between Novus Ordo and traditional Catholics, I don’t think he did anything to try to fix that division,” she says.
Hanson would like to know who the bishops are that Pope Francis consulted in making this decision, sharing that she doesn’t feel that there is any of the transparency needed for such a major document. If there are divisions, she says, she would like the opportunity to work on them in a different way.
“This isn’t going to be any less divisive if he causes a possible schism,” Hanson says.
According to the motu proprio and the accompanying letter, the TLM is not to be celebrated in diocesan churches or in new churches constructed for the purpose of the TLM, nor should new groups be established by the bishops. Left out of their parish churches, some are worried their only option to attend Mass will be in a recreation center or hotel ballroom.
Eric Matthews hopes that everyone is able to experience the extraordinary form at least once in their life so they can know that this is not about division.
“I can’t imagine someone going to the Latin Mass and saying, ‘This is creating disunity,’” he says. “There’s nothing to be afraid of with the Latin Mass. You’re just going to be surrounding yourself with people that really take it to heart.”
Maureen McKinley was home sick when her husband Matt found out about the motu proprio. He had taken the kids to a neighborhood park, where he ran into some friends who also attend Mater Misericordiæ. They asked if he had heard the news.
“I felt disgust at a document that pretends to say so much while actually saying so little and disregards the Church’s very long and rich tradition of careful legal documents,” Matt McKinley says.
Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix stated that the TLM may continue at Mater Misericordiæ, as well as in chapels, oratories, mission churches, non-parochial churches, and at seven other parishes in the diocese. Participation in the TLM and all of the activities of the parish are so important to the McKinleys that they are willing to move to another state or city should further restrictions be implemented.
For now, their family’s routine continues the same as before.
At the end of their day, the McKinleys pray a family rosary in front of their home altar, which has a Bible at the center, and an icon of Christ and a statue of the Virgin Mary. They eat dinner together, milk the goat again, and take care of their evening animal chores. After night prayer, the kids head off to bed, blessing themselves with holy water from the fonts mounted on the wall before they enter their bedroom.
“The life of the Church springs from this Mass,” Maureen says. “That’s why we’re here—not because the Latin Mass is archaic, but that it’s actually just so alive.”
Boston, Mass., Feb 11, 2022 / 16:00 pm (CNA).
The Archdiocese of Boston announced Wednesday, the same day the Massachusetts governor lifted a state school mask mandate, that school mask mandates will be eliminated at its sch… […]
9 Comments
When moral and ethical decisions are required, we can count on our bishops to lead us to the grey area.
The ? God ordained irony through it all – our culture that has gone after the ‘gods’ of pride and fear , esp. with regard to the teachings of The Church in areas of marriage and life , now allowed to be ‘one in the wounds’ , with all of humanity , in efforts to seek out ways to protect life . As a tender , prudent Mother ,
The Church comes with words in God given authority , to deliver us from excess fear and guilt about the vaccines and we can gratefully join her in Her mission and role , to intend that one of these days soon enough , the Divine Will alone would reign in all these areas . May prayers of many and all of heaven , including that of S.G Luisa , whose death anniv. is today be with us all , in all the days and every area in the lives of us all .
“Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego wrote March 3…that in receiving them we are truly showing love for our neighbor and our God.”
There we have it! Bore Tide McElroy pushing the Vatican Guilt Trip — Get the experimental jab out of charity to our neighbor and our God. Good land! Another mind has lent itself to be used by the B&B agenda.
What ever happened to Bishops giving their charges an injection of Spiritual Protection? Whatever happened to clergies first line of defense, that of taking the power of prayer and fasting out of the cupboard and leading out, taking charge. How about leading the flocks around their churches in procession, interceding for mercy, then offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It’s happened before during pandemics. Have these prelates lost their compass or did they even ever have one? Past time for the leaders(?) to realize that the health of soul takes precedence over that of the body. Bishops please be the arm of Christ, not the arm of the government, please.
I have been taken by surprise by the double standards of the Prolife supporters. They seem to be the first in line to receive the vaccines tainted/ cell lines of aborted babies such as HEK 293 and at the same time go ahead and criticise President Biden. But is he not giving them life by making abortion legally? At least he is honest about his actions. What about those who happily accept the vaccines and then pretend that it is not the same as the connection is remote as in the case of Pfizer. Are they not the same Catholics praying the Rosary for Biden to be ousted out of power and allow Trump to remain in power to promote Prolife? I saw them attend a campaign march for Prolife. I am yet to see these Catholics organise a march to protest against tainted vaccines. I would like to see them organise a worldwide Rosary to ask our Mother Mary to intercede for us against the pandemic(Isiah 33:4). Show your faith. Stand firm in what you believe. Do not make excuses based on fear. You can protect your neighbours by adherence to public health measures as these are clearly found in the old testament.
Exodus 30: 18-21(hand washing)
Leviticus 13:4-5(quarantine) and Leviticus 13:46( social distancing).All wisdom and knowledge comes from God. Prayer and the Precious blood are stronger than vaccines (Jeremiah17:5-10)Cursed is the man who trusts a man. Blessed is the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. Our Lord is the only source of life. We live for Christ and die in Christ.Jesus died a painful death because He loved us(John 11:33).And we are all called to repentance during Lent. A good starting point for our lukewarm Bishops.
“It is time for clergy and laity to boldly confront this horror and defend the right to life for the most vulnerable with ‘maximum determination.’”
The March 8 statement was also signed by Dr. Wanda Półtawska, a Polish physician who was a victim of pseudo-medical experiments in a Nazi concentration camp for four years in her early 20s.
“The evil of using aborted fetal cell lines involves not just the original murder, but the ongoing commercialization of the child’s body, as well as the ultimate refusal to bury his desecrated remains,” they said.
The statement listed five points, including a citation of a peer-reviewed study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization in October 2020 which found the average survival rate from SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, to be 98.3%.
THAT’S 98.3% SURVIVAL RATE, bishops please stop pushing vaccines. Start providing nourishment and leadership in the spiritual realm.
It is truly amazing that the general population has allowed itself to be bamboozled into swallowing the vaccine hype concerning COVID 19. How many people are aware that according to the WHO’s Bulletin issued in October of 2019, that of those infected with the virus there is a 98.3% survival rate. What I find most disconcerting is that Catholic bishops are acting as high pressured salesmen for the EXPERMENTAL COVID 19 vaccine and continuing to repeat the same line of thinking put forth by the Vatican. This is well and good as far as it goes, however, these prelates do not go far enough in explaining the primary horror of taking innocent human life, then following up that atrocious act by using preborn individual’s organs without their consent. Furthermore, just as frozen embryos are held captive indefinitely, the “desecrated remains,” of the illegally obtained cell lines of a foetus are refused burial. The Catholic Church’s stand on cremated remains of Catholics is that the urn holding the remains of the loved one must be buried. Catholic Church officials are inconsistent in their reasoning when it comes to the remains of illegally obtained cell lines from the aborted foetus that are being held indefinitely, thereby refusing the closure that comes with burial. Responsible Catholic prelates owe it to the members of the Catholic Church and humanity at large to expose the macabre practice of using illegally obtained organs from the preborn. Credibility of Catholic bishops on the matter of advertising for vaccination in this instance is questionable because nowhere have I seen that these prelates have researched or mentioned vaccines that are being developed without the use of illegally obtained tissue. Furthermore, I have not seen that the general first response of Catholic hierarchy has been that of prayer and fasting on a personal and community level, nor have I observed general leadership in this spiritual realm. Thankfully there are a handful of clergy and laity that see the long term effect of the proper understanding of the pandemic and use of untainted vaccines in both the spiritual and physical sphere.
Note: I am including a link on this subject of an article written by Phil Lawler.
“Americans have been lulled into acceptance of vaccines and medications (and other products) that represent the “benefits” of abortion. The Covid epidemic, and the rush to vaccinate, have provided the opportunity for a bit of moral awakening. Realizing what we have, sadly, come to accept, we might resolve to stop the profiteering, stop our peaceful coexistence with the “culture of death” and its marketable products. To stiffen that resolve, as “To Awaken Conscience” argues, “a more radical public witness is needed today.”
Read More:
‘A more radical public witness’ on the Covid vaccines | Catholic Culture
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years.
PS. Could CWR editors feature an author who is knowledgeable on this subject –someone with fire in their bones — an author that can get as much traction as authors of Vatican II fellows evoke. Please.
When moral and ethical decisions are required, we can count on our bishops to lead us to the grey area.
The ? God ordained irony through it all – our culture that has gone after the ‘gods’ of pride and fear , esp. with regard to the teachings of The Church in areas of marriage and life , now allowed to be ‘one in the wounds’ , with all of humanity , in efforts to seek out ways to protect life . As a tender , prudent Mother ,
The Church comes with words in God given authority , to deliver us from excess fear and guilt about the vaccines and we can gratefully join her in Her mission and role , to intend that one of these days soon enough , the Divine Will alone would reign in all these areas . May prayers of many and all of heaven , including that of S.G Luisa , whose death anniv. is today be with us all , in all the days and every area in the lives of us all .
Oh, bishops, please. Step down from your moral high horse. 500,000+ have died.
Encourage use of the (assumed) cells for the pro-life purpose for which these vaccinations have been invented. Do not sow doubt in anyone’s mind.
To advocate use of whatever vaccine is available seems to be a pro-life position put into action.
I agree 100%. Muddying the waters is just there to confuse people. Get the vaccine, go to confession later if you feel guilty, it’s the Catholic way!
“Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego wrote March 3…that in receiving them we are truly showing love for our neighbor and our God.”
There we have it! Bore Tide McElroy pushing the Vatican Guilt Trip — Get the experimental jab out of charity to our neighbor and our God. Good land! Another mind has lent itself to be used by the B&B agenda.
What ever happened to Bishops giving their charges an injection of Spiritual Protection? Whatever happened to clergies first line of defense, that of taking the power of prayer and fasting out of the cupboard and leading out, taking charge. How about leading the flocks around their churches in procession, interceding for mercy, then offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It’s happened before during pandemics. Have these prelates lost their compass or did they even ever have one? Past time for the leaders(?) to realize that the health of soul takes precedence over that of the body. Bishops please be the arm of Christ, not the arm of the government, please.
I have been taken by surprise by the double standards of the Prolife supporters. They seem to be the first in line to receive the vaccines tainted/ cell lines of aborted babies such as HEK 293 and at the same time go ahead and criticise President Biden. But is he not giving them life by making abortion legally? At least he is honest about his actions. What about those who happily accept the vaccines and then pretend that it is not the same as the connection is remote as in the case of Pfizer. Are they not the same Catholics praying the Rosary for Biden to be ousted out of power and allow Trump to remain in power to promote Prolife? I saw them attend a campaign march for Prolife. I am yet to see these Catholics organise a march to protest against tainted vaccines. I would like to see them organise a worldwide Rosary to ask our Mother Mary to intercede for us against the pandemic(Isiah 33:4). Show your faith. Stand firm in what you believe. Do not make excuses based on fear. You can protect your neighbours by adherence to public health measures as these are clearly found in the old testament.
Exodus 30: 18-21(hand washing)
Leviticus 13:4-5(quarantine) and Leviticus 13:46( social distancing).All wisdom and knowledge comes from God. Prayer and the Precious blood are stronger than vaccines (Jeremiah17:5-10)Cursed is the man who trusts a man. Blessed is the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. Our Lord is the only source of life. We live for Christ and die in Christ.Jesus died a painful death because He loved us(John 11:33).And we are all called to repentance during Lent. A good starting point for our lukewarm Bishops.
Aa case of lost shepherds.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/catholic-women-issue-statement-opposing-use-of-abortion-tainted-vaccines-34812
“It is time for clergy and laity to boldly confront this horror and defend the right to life for the most vulnerable with ‘maximum determination.’”
The March 8 statement was also signed by Dr. Wanda Półtawska, a Polish physician who was a victim of pseudo-medical experiments in a Nazi concentration camp for four years in her early 20s.
“The evil of using aborted fetal cell lines involves not just the original murder, but the ongoing commercialization of the child’s body, as well as the ultimate refusal to bury his desecrated remains,” they said.
The statement listed five points, including a citation of a peer-reviewed study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization in October 2020 which found the average survival rate from SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, to be 98.3%.
THAT’S 98.3% SURVIVAL RATE, bishops please stop pushing vaccines. Start providing nourishment and leadership in the spiritual realm.
It is truly amazing that the general population has allowed itself to be bamboozled into swallowing the vaccine hype concerning COVID 19. How many people are aware that according to the WHO’s Bulletin issued in October of 2019, that of those infected with the virus there is a 98.3% survival rate. What I find most disconcerting is that Catholic bishops are acting as high pressured salesmen for the EXPERMENTAL COVID 19 vaccine and continuing to repeat the same line of thinking put forth by the Vatican. This is well and good as far as it goes, however, these prelates do not go far enough in explaining the primary horror of taking innocent human life, then following up that atrocious act by using preborn individual’s organs without their consent. Furthermore, just as frozen embryos are held captive indefinitely, the “desecrated remains,” of the illegally obtained cell lines of a foetus are refused burial. The Catholic Church’s stand on cremated remains of Catholics is that the urn holding the remains of the loved one must be buried. Catholic Church officials are inconsistent in their reasoning when it comes to the remains of illegally obtained cell lines from the aborted foetus that are being held indefinitely, thereby refusing the closure that comes with burial. Responsible Catholic prelates owe it to the members of the Catholic Church and humanity at large to expose the macabre practice of using illegally obtained organs from the preborn. Credibility of Catholic bishops on the matter of advertising for vaccination in this instance is questionable because nowhere have I seen that these prelates have researched or mentioned vaccines that are being developed without the use of illegally obtained tissue. Furthermore, I have not seen that the general first response of Catholic hierarchy has been that of prayer and fasting on a personal and community level, nor have I observed general leadership in this spiritual realm. Thankfully there are a handful of clergy and laity that see the long term effect of the proper understanding of the pandemic and use of untainted vaccines in both the spiritual and physical sphere.
Note: I am including a link on this subject of an article written by Phil Lawler.
“Americans have been lulled into acceptance of vaccines and medications (and other products) that represent the “benefits” of abortion. The Covid epidemic, and the rush to vaccinate, have provided the opportunity for a bit of moral awakening. Realizing what we have, sadly, come to accept, we might resolve to stop the profiteering, stop our peaceful coexistence with the “culture of death” and its marketable products. To stiffen that resolve, as “To Awaken Conscience” argues, “a more radical public witness is needed today.”
Read More:
‘A more radical public witness’ on the Covid vaccines | Catholic Culture
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years.
PS. Could CWR editors feature an author who is knowledgeable on this subject –someone with fire in their bones — an author that can get as much traction as authors of Vatican II fellows evoke. Please.