Roman Catholic leaders in St. Louis and New Orleans advise Catholics that the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, newly approved for use in the United States, is a “moral compromise” because it is produced using a cell line derived from an aborted fetus. .
The Archdiocese of New Orleans says the decision to receive a vaccine is one of individual conscience. In his statement late last week, he stopped advising Catholics not to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but added that Catholics should choose coronavirus vaccines produced by Moderna or Pfizer – if they are available.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis on Tuesday encouraged Catholics to look for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and avoid the Johnson & Johnson version, if possible. Like the statement of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the statement of St. Louis called the Johnson & Johnson vaccine a “moral compromise.” However, the statement in St. Louis points out that Catholics can receive the vaccine “with a good conscience if there is no other alternative.”
Later on Tuesday, a statement issued by the chairmen of the committees of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on doctrinal issues and abortion issued a statement reiterating moral concerns. He said Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are preferable “if someone has the ability to choose a vaccine”.
Although it does not dispute the statement of church officials that a cell line derived from abortion in production is used, Johnson & Johnson issued a statement on Tuesday emphasizing that there is no fetal tissue in his vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine is made using a harmless cold virus called adenovirus, the same technology he used to make a successful Ebola vaccine. The adenovirus is grown using what is called an immortalized cell line, and the virus is then extracted and purified.
There are several types of cell lines created decades ago using fetal tissue and are widely used in medical manufacturing, but the cells in them today are clones of early cells, not the original tissue.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a January statement that the “abortion-derived” cell lines were used to test Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but not for their development or production.
The Archdiocese’s statements renewed religious discussions about the vaccine and the use of abortion cells. In December, the Vatican said it was “morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that used cell lines from aborted fetuses” in the research and production process, when “ethically flawless” vaccines are not available to the public. .
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Pope Francis has frequently spoken about the need to ensure that vaccines are widely available, especially for the poor and marginalized. And, last month, a decree signed by the governor of the Vatican City State said that Vatican employees who give up vaccination without a proven medical reason could be subject to sanctions, including being fired.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans released its statement Friday, a day before the Food and Drug Administration eliminated the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for use in the United States.
Asked Tuesday about the New Orleans archdiocese’s statement, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards – a rare anti-abortion Democrat – stressed the need for people to use any of the approved vaccines available to stop the virus from spreading.
Edwards said he spoke with Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Sunday about the statement. “I don’t read his statement as completely telling Catholics or otherwise not to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” Edwards said.
“I encourage everyone there to get the first vaccine available to them.”
He noted on Monday a statement issued by Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge.
The Duke acknowledged “moral concerns” about the new approved vaccine. But, he added, “if for any reasonable reason you can only get the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, you should feel free to do so for your own safety and the common good.”
This is similar to the guidelines of the American Episcopal Conference issued in January. ‘Given that COVID-19 virus may pose a serious health risk, it may be morally acceptable to receive a vaccine using abortion-derived cell lines if there are no other vaccines available that are comparable in safety and efficacy, without any connection to abortion “, the January guide said.
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Associated Press reporters Luis Henao of New York, Jim Salter of St. Louis, Lauran Neergaard of Alexandria, Virginia, and Melinda Deslatte of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this story.