Letter of vaccine religious exemption free#

Whether or not one is concerned about personal risks associated with COVID, each person has a moral duty to act responsibly out of concern for his or her neighbor by diligently following other safety measures. While we encourage vaccination, we cannot and will not force vaccination as a condition of employment or the freedom of the faithful to worship in our parishes.įurther, it is imperative that the faithful who choose not to be vaccinated recognize their moral duty to take other measures to protect others from harm. Therefore, vaccine participation must be voluntary and cannot be forced, as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the authority of Pope Francis, indicated last December. With regard to mandatory vaccination, while the Church promotes vaccination as morally acceptable and urges cooperation with public health authorities in promoting the common good, there are matters of personal health and moral conscience involved in vaccines that must be respected.

Letter of vaccine religious exemption free#

As Pope Pius XII said in his November 24, 1957, address to Catholic physicians and anesthesiologists, “Life, health, all temporal activities are in fact subordinated to spiritual ends.”Īlso, since the sanctuary of the church is not a public place- in that people are not free to walk through the sanctuary area where the altar, ambo, and tabernacle are located-priests, deacons, and lectors are not expected to wear face coverings while fulfilling their functions at Mass, since this would interfere with their public speaking and the performance of their liturgical roles. The obligation to attend Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is paramount since eternal life is the most important consideration. The Executive Order’s face covering requirement for indoor public places applies to “all individuals in Illinois who are age two or over and able to medically tolerate a face covering (a mask or cloth face covering).” Noting that some people may be excused from wearing a face covering for medical reasons, no one is to be excluded from attending Mass for not wearing a face covering. Our parishes will also continue other safety measures as COVID cases, hospitalization rates, and ICU admissions have risen rapidly in recent weeks. In the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, our schools are already complying with the Governor’s prior Executive Order regarding masks, and our parishes are asked to follow the new mask mandate in indoor public places. Bishop Paprocki also notes that Catholics in other states still need to check on their specific rules for vaccine exemptions.ĭebates about mask mandates and required vaccinations are much in the news in light of Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order seeking to slow the spread of COVID. Editor's Note: This column by Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Ill.