A message to the faithful of the archdiocese from Archbishop Michael Jackels
23 December 2020, 3:00 PM
Further Guidance on Vaccinations
The US Bishops’ Conference recently stated Catholics may in good conscience use the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines, even though they were tested using cell lines from tissue derived from a procured abortion. A week later, the Vatican office for the Doctrine of the Faith, with approval from our Holy Father Pope Francis, issued a statement on the same topic to offer further moral guidance, as well as to correct remarks made by some Catholic sources. 1) The use of vaccines developed from cell lines of tissue harvested from a procured abortion does not constitute a sinful cooperation in the evil of abortion. 2) Catholics may in good conscience use any of the COVID vaccines, even if developed using cell lines from an abortion, if there are no alternative vaccines available. 3) In the face of a grave danger to their own health, or to the common good of public health, Catholics are not obliged to refuse those vaccines developed from cell lines of tissue harvested from a procured abortion. For your information, the Catholic Church does not provide for a religious exemption to civil laws requiring vaccination, even if abortion is part of the equation in the development or production of a vaccine. In fact, Catholic teaching on care for life and on the common good strongly supports vaccination against threats to life and health, like measles, mumps, rubella, and the coronavirus. Whoever refuses vaccination for reasons of conscience has as a consequence a serious moral duty to do everything possible to avoid spreading disease to those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Archbishop Michael Jackels Archbishop of Dubuque
Updated 12/4/20
If you have concerns about the new COVID19 virus vaccine, please read the statement from the Bishops of Iowa following:
There is encouraging news about the development and distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus. Thanks be to God.
Some people have concerns about the safety of the vaccine on account of the speed of its development and of FDA approval. In this regard, experts explain that the speed is a testimony to scientific advances that turned years into months without compromising safety and scientific integrity.
Some people are concerned, too, about the risk of side effects. There is no scientifically proven link between vaccines and other conditions, such as autism. It is not uncommon to experience minor side effects from being vaccinated. People may feel temporarily uncomfortable, but the benefit from the vaccine exceeds any burden.
Finally, there is troubling news that some drug companies used cell lines from the fetal tissue of an aborted baby in the design, development and production of their vaccines. In response, the USCCB Committees on Pro-life and Doctrine had this to say: People may in good conscience use the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, which made only limited use of those unethical cell lines (for lab testing of the vaccine). Morally speaking, the vaccine offered by these two companies is relatively remote from the evil of abortion, and so need not trouble anyone’s conscience to use either one. In contrast, some other companies use a cell line from the fetal tissue of an aborted baby in the design, development, production, and lab testing of their COVID vaccines. If possible, those vaccines should not be used. If there is no alternative available, however, people may in good faith use them against the serious health risk of COVID. The common good of public health takes precedence over any reservation about being treated with vaccines; they will not be effective if people do not use them.
Most Rev. Michael Jackels Archbishop of Dubuque
Most Rev. Thomas Zinkula Bishop of Davenport
Most Rev. R. Walker Nickless Bishop of Sioux City
Most Rev. William Joensen Bishop of Des Moines
A MESSAGE FROM FATHER DAGIT re: Mass schedule
Sunday, July 12, will be the last time I celebrate Mass as the pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Gilbert. The following Sunday, July 19, we will return to the Sunday Mass schedule that we had up until a year ago, that is, 8:30 A.M. Mass alternating between St. Gabriel, Zearing and St. Mary, Colo and 10:30 A.M. Mass at St. Patrick, Nevada. (Please note the change in time at St. Patrick from the current 10:45 A.M. to 10:30 A.M.). The 8:30 A.M. Mass on July 19 will be at St. Gabriel, Zearing and the rotation will go on from that Sunday with the 8:30 A.M. Mass on July 26 at St Mary Church, Colo and so on. The Saturday afternoon Mass at St. Joseph, State Center, will remain at 4:00 P.M.
So the weekend Mass schedule beginning July 18-19 will be:
Saturday 4:00 P.M. State Center
Sunday 8:30 A.M. Zearing ( Colo the following Sunday, July 26, and alternating from there)
Sunday 10:30 A.M. Nevada
Even though there will be a change in the Sunday Mass schedule, we will not see a change in the way we do things at Mass, at least for the time being. We will still be social distancing in our seating arrangement, wearing masks, having minimal music, not gathering in groups before or after Mass whether in church or outside the church doors. COVID-19 is still with us and poses a threat to our health. So we must do whatever we can, out of love for neighbor, to keep everyone safe.