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California Catholic Bishops Approve Coronavirus Vaccines
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The California Catholic Conference Supports COVID-19 Vaccinations
"The California Catholic Conference affirms that the imminent Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable and commits to working closely with Catholic health care ministries and Catholic Charities to: Promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccinations in collaboration with state and local governments and other entities; advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations to ensure that they have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines; and, provide regular and accurate information to parishioners and the community in support of morally acceptable, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines."
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The full statement, released December 3, 2020, by the bishops of California (in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese), along with other news, information, and resources, can be found at the California Catholic Conference website, cacatholic.org/covid-vaccines.
READ VACCINES STATEMENT HERE
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Archbishop: "I encourage everyone to be vaccinated..."
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
March 4, 2021“The increased availability of Covid-19 vaccines is already having a welcome effect in reducing the spread of this virus. I encourage everyone to be vaccinated in consultation with their physician.
“The first available vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have been determined to be morally acceptable. The newer Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, is more morally compromised in that stem cells from a line deriving from an aborted fetus were used in its manufacture, not only in testing.“As noted by the chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Pro-Life Activities, ‘The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that “when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available ... it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.” 1 However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.’”
“Please also continue to practice recommended safety precautions: wear a mask, wash hands, and observe social distancing. All these things together, we pray, will bring us through the pandemic soon.”
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Vaccines to protect against COVID-19 are available in limited quantities.
Click (to the right) to find a location where you can get vaccinated. There are eligibility requirements and many locations require an appointment. You can specify which vaccine you would like.
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Steps in Reopening for Public Mass
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Reopening for public Masses, part 12
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone's letter to the priests of the Archdiocese on February 8, 2020, regarding the reopening of public Masses:
As you all know by now, last Friday the Supreme Court issued an injunction in South Bay United Pentecostal Church, et al. lifting California’s blanket ban on indoor worship. This decision is consistent with the most recent decisions from the Supreme Court that I referenced in my previous memo to you (December 18, 2020), namely, in the Diocese of Brooklyn case and the 9th Circuit Court in the Calvary Chapel (Nevada) case. As I also mentioned in that previous memo, these recent court decisions establish the principle that religious worship may not be treated less favorably than the most favored classes of business, meaning at a minimum the rules for indoor retail must also apply to indoor worship. Therefore, houses of worship have to be treated at least as well as retail, which for us in California means 25% indoor capacity at this time.
This recent Supreme Court order is a welcome one. Even so, it does not change the science. The instruction I gave to you in the December 18th memo, then, remains the same: continue to celebrate Mass outdoors when that is feasible, as this adds an additional safety precaution for those gathered, but when in your judgment it would be safer for the people to be indoors rather than out, then bring them into the church while strictly observing the safety protocols of the Archdiocese in every detail. Below you will find a link to the latest version. The four principal practices remain in place: social distancing, masks, sanitation, and ventilation (opening doors and windows). As a reminder, the safety protocols of the Archdiocese are the same basic protocols being followed by dioceses throughout the United States, and as three major infectious disease specialists noted after reviewing the data, these protocols work. Not a single COVID outbreak has been traced to Mass attendance where these protocols are observed. Below you will find a link giving information on this study.
Please continue to remind your parishioners that those who are sick should not attend Mass, even if it’s “just a cold” and they feel well enough to attend, and that the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation remains in place for now. The elderly and others at high risk from COVID, as well as those who care for them, may choose in good conscience to remain at home.
Safety Protocols:
Archdiocesan Protocols (English)
Archdiocesan Protocols (Spanish)Letter on the evidence-based safety of our protocols by three infectious disease specialists:
https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2020/08/19/evidence- based_guidelines_to_celebrate_mass_safely_are_working.html
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PDF - English
Video - English | Spanish (recorded by the Archbishop regarding the news above)
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Public Resources
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- Special: Catholic Family Resources for Lockdown
- California EDD (Unemployment) Benefits
- Marin County Department of Health & Human Services
- San Mateo County Health Department
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) General Info
- San Francisco County Department of Public Health
- CDC Page for Faith-Based Organizations
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Archdiocesan Memos
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