Study seminar on Catholic Ethical Response to COVID-19 vaccines held
Kohima, March 14 (MExN): The Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) on Sunday said that Catholics can receive COVID-19 vaccines ‘in good conscience’.
While stressing the need for Catholics to “publicly advocate for the development, testing and production of vaccines which do not use cell lines from the aborted fetuses,” the CCBI stated that those who take the available vaccines have only a ‘remote’ and ‘passive’ cooperation with the use of cell lines from aborted human fetuses, and with the development, production and testing of these vaccines.”
The statement was part of the conclusion of a study seminar on ‘Catholic Ethical Response to COVID-19 vaccines’ conducted by the CCBI, and issued by the Bishop’s House, Kohima.
It stated that contrary to some views, the Catholic Church is not ‘anti-science’.
However, it also pointed out moral concerns with science and its applications.
“Catholics need to be aware of the moral implications of scientific developments, and evaluate them in the light of Church teachings,” the CCBI added.
In view of the serious nature of the disease, and deaths involving vulnerable groups, the CCBI study seminar concluded that vaccination can contribute to the control of the pandemic and the common good.
It reminded that vaccine programmes for COVID-19 must keep in mind issues of social justice.
Individuals and institutions must play their part to ensure that the vaccine reaches all beneficiaries, particularly the vulnerable and marginalized, it added.
It also highlighted the need for individuals to access and disseminate reliable information from valid sources only, stating that false information is detrimental to efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CCBI also stated that every individual must diligently follow current public health preventive guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic in order to protect themselves and those around them, while adding that stigmatization of individuals who are ill or unvaccinated is harmful to the individual and society.
