January 28, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
In anticipation of the possible elimination of the religious exemption from mandatory vaccinations in Connecticut, we would like to clarify our stance regarding mandatory vaccinations.
The Catholic Church encourages the use of vaccines, and our Connecticut Catholic schools require mandatory vaccinations. The Church recognizes the conscientious objection to certain vaccines that use human fetal cell lines, but the use of such vaccines is not immoral according to Church guidance. That is, there is no religious teaching against the use of these vaccines for Catholics. For background on the Church’s position, we reiterate the Pontifical Academy’s guidance to Catholics on the importance of public health, vaccinations, and alternative vaccinations.
The Connecticut Catholic Conference, our public policy office, stands as a defender of religious liberty for all. In general, the Conference maintains that all religious exemptions should be jealously guarded. Any repeal of a religious exemption should be rooted in legitimate, grave public health concerns. The existence of a health risk in the state of Connecticut is a question of fact beyond our expertise at this time.
