This week, the Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, Timothy P. Broglio said that troops should be allowed to refuse the mandated COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds.
In a statement released Tuesday, Broglio described the “problematic” background behind the COVID-19 vaccines, explaining that they were derived from an abortion-derived cell line. Given this, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine could go against someone’s religious beliefs. Therefore, Broglio says troops who find the vaccine in conflict with their faith should be allowed to refuse it.
“The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were tested using an abortion derived cell line,” the statement reads. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed, tested, and is produced, with abortion-derived cell lines. That vaccine is, therefore, more problematic. If it were the only vaccine available, it would be morally permissible, but the faithful Catholic is to make known his or her preference for a more morally acceptable treatment.”
Later on in the statement, Broglio added that “no one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,” and emphasized that choosing not to get the vaccine is a religious freedom that is protected by the First Amendment.
“The denial of religious accommodations, or punitive or adverse personnel actions taken against those who raise earnest, conscience-based objections, would be contrary to federal law and morally reprehensible,” Broglio continued in his statement. However, he notes that those who choose not to get vaccinated must “continue to act in charity for their neighbors and for the common good by undertaking means to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through wearing face coverings, social distancing, undergoing routine testing, quarantining, and remaining open to receiving a treatment should one become available that is not derived from, or tested with abortion-derived cell lines.”
As we reported in August, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the COVID-19 vaccine would be mandatory for all members of the U.S. military this fall. President Biden supported Austin’s directive, issuing a statement that the two share an “unshakeable commitment” to the safety of others and that the vaccine will “save lives.”
“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations,” Biden said in a statement. “We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away. I am proud that our military women and men will continue to help lead the charge in the fight against this pandemic, as they so often do, by setting the example of keeping their fellow Americans safe.”