Archbishop: Catholic troops can refuse COVID-19 vaccine - Military Times

Catholic troops should be allowed to refuse COVID-19 vaccines for conscientious reasons, the Archbishop for the Military Services USA wrote in a statement Tuesday.

“No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,” wrote Archbishop Timothy P.

In the statement, Broglio pointed to concerns surrounding the moral permissibility of the vaccines, citing abortion-related tissues used in development or testing.

“Those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine 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.”.