The Vatican urged Catholics to get vaccinated against Covid-19, explaining that all vaccines developed are “ethically acceptable”, including those made from cells derived from the embryonic tissues of aborted embryos from the last century.
A note from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published today “on the ethics of using certain vaccines against Covid-19”, which recalls the Church’s positions over the past fifteen years, aimed to respond to specific requests received during the last months.
“It is morally acceptable to receive vaccines against Covid-19 that have used cell lines from aborted embryos in the process of their research and production,” explained the note approved by the Pope, which was released today by the Assembly.
The Roman Catholic Church clarified that the connection between a person being vaccinated and abortions performed in the last century is “distant.”
The Vatican also stated that “the use of these vaccines does not imply ethical approval of abortion” and called on pharmaceutical companies and government health services to “produce, approve, distribute and offer ethically acceptable vaccines that do not cause conscience problems.”
Even though vaccination in general should remain “voluntary”, the Roman Catholic Church emphasized that it is an act in favor of the “common good” and for “the protection of the weakest and most exposed”, a position that is clearly opposed to the anti-vaccination movement.
The Vatican Convention on the Doctrine of the Faith finally referred to the “ethical duty” of the pharmaceutical industry, governments and international organizations to make Covid-19 vaccines “accessible even to the poorest countries”.
Source: ANA-MPA