How vaccines became a battle line in the Catholic culture war

Citing the church's teaching on personal conscience, a group of Catholic bishops from Colorado issued a statement on August 6th against state-imposed vaccine mandates. Their concern stemmed from a valid, yet very remote connection between Covid-19 vaccines and stem cells from aborted fetuses. But is their concern serving the common good or a culture war? "My issue is that this concern is being weaponized," says Sam Sawyer, SJ. While the concern about vaccines and religious exemptions is technically true theologically, it focuses on a very narrow slice of Catholic moral analysis, ultimately misrepresenting the church's official position: that taking a vaccine is morally acceptable and an act of love.

Gloria and Fr. Sam talk through the Catholic Church's moral analysis of the Covid-19 vaccines from a wholistic and nuanced perspective. They discuss why some outspoken Catholics (including bishops) are jettisoning the fullness of the Catholic moral tradition, and why concern for the "common good" is central to any discussion around vaccines and Catholicism.

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Articles by Sam Sawyer, SJ:

Catholic bishops must not turn vaccines into a culture war issue

How not to talk about vaccines: Some bishops are choosing the culture war over the common good

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