PCC JOINS U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS IN CALLING FOR ETHICALLY-BASED VACCINES TO COMBAT COVID-19
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today joined Catholic bishops from around the nation in calling for the development and use of ethically-based vaccines to combat COVID-19. Catholic doctrine has long opposed the use of vaccines that have used tissue harvested from abortions.
“We are in a critical point of trying to save lives, not only here but across the world,” said Eric Failing, the Executive Director of the PCC. “But we cannot resort to capitalizing on the evil that is abortion–the killing of children. Several of the vaccines under development have been obtained from other sources which will allow us to continue to respect the sanctity of life and hopefully preserve -all- life.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Friday sent a letter (which can be read here) to the Food and Drug Administration asking that vaccines for COVID-19 be developed ethically and free from any connection to abortion.
“There is no need to use ethically problematic cell lines to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, or any vaccine,” the bishops stated in their letter. “Other cell lines or processes that do not involve cells from abortions are available and are regularly being used.”
No American should be forced to choose between being vaccinated and violating his or her conscience.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is based in Harrisburg and is the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops.
If you would like to talk with Mr. Failing by phone or FaceTime, please contact Al Gnoza on his cellphone (717) 585-1548— any day, any time.
