January 1, 2021 | A Word From Bishop Medley

An act of self-love and charity towards others

After many grueling months of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, December finally brought some good news to the United States: several vaccines had been approved to combat the virus.

The announcement about these vaccines, however, raised some serious moral questions. In short, questions often arise with the development of vaccines in general because the research leading to their development has often involved aborted fetal tissue.

As those who morally assert that abortion is gravely immoral, then we are presented with the question of the morality of any benefit achieved from that research. This is an important and relevant concern. Make no mistake: when we speak of aborted fetal tissue we are speaking of an aborted human being, an aborted baby.

My words here will perhaps err on the side of oversimplifying the questions.  I urge any desiring more information to visit www.usccb.org/moral-considerations-covid-vaccines. There you will find details of the different vaccines that have been approved or are expected to be approved.

Given the toll exacted upon the world at this time by the COVID-19 virus, we find the Church affirming the development of many vaccines. As consumers most of us will not likely have a choice as to which vaccines are first available to us. I hesitate to speak about individual vaccines here because I am writing at least two weeks before this article will be published. With information and data changing daily I want to avoid spreading misinformation. I should also here make clear that I have no expertise in regards to the scientific and medical effectiveness of the vaccines.  You should of course look to healthcare professionals for that counsel.

On Dec. 14, 2020 the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement assuring Catholics that being immunized against COVID-19 is “morally permissible and can be an act of self-love and charity towards others.” The statement was jointly issued by Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas and Chairman of the Committee on Pro-life Activities; and Bishop Kevin Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine.

To some this conclusion may be simple common sense. To all it should raise valid questions because of the connections with scientific research and the utilization of cells from aborted fetuses. But serious moral questions demand thoughtful weights of conscience on the part of scientists, governments and individuals. The statement of the USCCB reflects such serious moral pondering, and its conclusion is supported by previous research by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Academy of Science.

Vaccines are being developed by several different pharmaceutical companies.  Their research methods vary. The Catholic Church has long held that researchers should avoid, if at all possible, vaccines that have any connection to abortion.   The USCCB statement identifies some research as having had remote connections to objectionable procedures. More than 50 years ago, well before the legalization of abortion across the United States, there were abortions performed and fetal tissue from those abortions was occasionally used in research. From that time, research cell lines have been kept alive. No new abortion matter has been involved since 1968.

While the use of aborted fetal matter of any process or age is morally objectionable, there are different degrees of responsibility on cooperating with evil, i.e. accepting vaccines made with fetal cell lines. The USCCB statement reads, “As for the moral responsibility of those who are merely the recipients of the vaccines, the Congregation [for the Doctrine of the Faith] affirms that a serious health danger could justify use of ‘a vaccine which was developed using cell lines of illicit origin.’”

Another way to say this is to acknowledge that extraordinary danger can merit extraordinary action, such as self-defense against an unjust aggressor.

An historic example of this is the vaccine that has been developed to combat rubella (German measles). There is no alternative to this vaccine, which utilized fetal cell lines obtained by abortion in the 1960s. Yet there are considerable dangers presented by rubella – which can harm a pregnant woman’s unborn baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if an unvaccinated pregnant woman contracts rubella, possible complications include miscarriage or the baby contracting rubella, resulting in serious birth defects. The participation in the initial evil of abortion in this case being very remote, and the concerns for the health of the vulnerable, led the Church to affirm parents in their choice to have their children vaccinated, and rubella was eliminated from the U.S. in 2004.

We should keep in mind that some people cannot be vaccinated themselves and they must rely on the rest of the community becoming immune so that the disease is contained. Every person who becomes ill with COVID-19 places an additional burden on healthcare systems and workers, which in some locales are being overwhelmed.

Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Rhoades conclude their statement stating that the urgency of the crisis we face, the lack of available alternative vaccines, and the fact that the connection between an abortion that occurred decades ago and receiving the vaccine today is remote. Make no mistake: remote cooperation with evil is wrong – but there are measures and nuances, such as during a serious health danger as the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the opportunity arrives that you and your loved ones can be vaccinated, there will be up-to-date data. The USCCB statement does affirm: “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 bottom line is that the Catholic Church in 2021 sees that inoculation with the new COVID-19 vaccines in today’s circumstances can be morally justified and can indeed be act of charity and demonstrate a concern for the Common Good.

Most Reverend William F. Medley
Diocese of Owensboro


Originally printed in the January 2021 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.

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Publisher |  Bishop William F. Medley
Editor |  Elizabeth Wong Barnstead
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