by Kevin J. Jones San Diego, Calif., Aug 13, 2021 / 17:26 pm Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego has asked that priests in his diocese not sign religious exemption letters from coronavirus vaccine mandates. He criticized a recent exemption letter from the Colorado Catholic Conference for promoting a pathway …

by Joe Bukuras Washington D.C., Aug 11, 2021 / 12:03 pm Catholic seminaries in the northeast are requiring COVID-19 vaccination for their seminarians before the coming semester begins. Mt. Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland is one of the colleges requiring students and seminarians to be vaccinated before coming to …

by Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Aug 4, 2021 / 13:01 pm As workplaces have begun to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, some Catholic institutions insist that conscience exemptions are necessary. In addition, priests should be allowed to support Catholics who conscientiously refuse COVID-19 vaccines, says one bioethicist. “It is Catholic …

by Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Aug 2, 2021 / 13:30 pm The Archdiocese of New York has instructed priests not to grant religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines, saying that do so would contradict the pope. “There is no basis for a priest to issue a religious exemption to the vaccine,” …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, May 8, 2021 / 06:40 am America/Denver (CNA). Pope Francis called for the “temporary suspension of intellectual property rights” for COVID-19 vaccines in his video message to the “Vax Live” concert co-chaired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “The coronavirus has produced death and suffering, …

Washington D.C., Mar 18, 2021 / 08:38 am MT (CNA).- The White House on Wednesday claimed that Pope Francis has affirmed “the safety and efficacy” of the three COVID vaccines approved for use in the U.S. However, the latest statement of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith …

by Kate Scanlon Washington D.C., Mar 12, 2021 / 11:00 am MT (CNA).- Catholic bishops and prominent theologians and ethicists say that although there is not an obligation to receive a COVID vaccine, Catholics should consider the strong moral argument in favor of doing so. Regarding moral concerns over the …

CNA Staff, Mar 3, 2021 / 03:19 pm MT (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 …

March 2, 2021 WASHINGTON– On March 2, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the …

Vatican City, Jan 12, 2021 / 03:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope emeritus Benedict XVI will receive the coronavirus vaccine as soon as it is available, his personal secretary said Tuesday. Archbishop Georg Gänswein told CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, Jan. 12 that the 93-year-old former pope would be vaccinated …