IS IT MORALLY PERMISSIBLE TO TAKE THE COVID-19 VACCINATION? 

A lot of questions are being raised about the COVID-19 vaccinations. Some are asserting that if a vaccine is connected in any way with tainted cell lines then it is immoral to be vaccinated with them. This is an inaccurate portrayal of Catholic moral teaching.  I reproduce here some excerpts from the guidelines issued by our Archdiocese of Boston to help us better understand the issue. 

In statement issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), dated December 20, 2020 the COVID-19 vaccine issue is addressed. This pronouncement of our bishops is an act of the ordinary Magisterium. They are properly exercising their Office to settle a matter of conscience for Catholics on a complicated moral issue: "Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccine involved the use of cell lines that originated in fetal tissue taken from the body of an aborted baby at any level of design, development, or production. They are not completely free from any connection to abortion, however, as both Pfizer and Moderna made use of a tainted cell line for one of the confirmatory lab tests of their products. There is thus a connection, but it is relatively remote." 

In a statement by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), "Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines", approved by Pope Francis, December 17th, 2020 we have further guidance: "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." Because of the ongoing, (at this time) uncontrolled/uncontrollable nature of the illness, the CDF also states that: "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 the production of the vaccines derive. Because the cooperation of the vaccine recipient is so remote the moral duty to avoid such passive material cooperation [with abortion] is not obligatory because there exists a grave danger in the COVID-19 pandemic."

In sum, based on Magisterial guidance, it is morally permissible for Catholics to take the COVID-19 vaccines currently being offered and to take them with a clear conscience.

Fr. Charles Higgins

March 7th, A.D. 2021 Third Sunday in Lent

Mary Immaculate of Lourdes, Newton/Needham, Massachusetts