The Catholic bishops oppose it. Does it matter?

Shortly after the FDA approved the COVID vaccine at a Johnson & Johnson shot this week, leaders of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a warning: “The approval … again raises questions about the moral legitimacy of the use of vaccines developed, tested and / or produced using cell lines derived from abortion. “

Some officials have made even stronger statements. The Archdiocese of New Orleans has described the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as “morally compromised.” The deeply conservative bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, in November called on Catholics to reject the three vaccines approved as “not produced morally.”

Why do Catholic bishops speak publicly about vaccines? Here’s what you need to know about religious objection and its impact.

Why are some Catholics opposed to the J&J vaccine?

Human fetal cells are widely used in medical research, including in the development and production of vaccines. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson all used cell lines (called HEK293 and PER.C6) taken from aborted fetal tissue from the 1970s and 1980s. The cells used in the testing and production of these vaccines are clones, not directly from the original fetal tissue.

While Moderna and Pfizer used the cells to test their vaccines, Johnson & Johnson used PER.C6 cells – or, as the bishops called them, “abortion-derived cell lines” – in the development and production of her. vaccine.

In December, the USCCB said the two RNA vaccines were “removed from the initial evil of abortion.” But this is not the case for Johnson & Johnson, according to the bishops: “If one can choose from among the COVID-19 vaccines as safe and effective, the vaccine having the least connection to the cell lines derived from the abortion should be chosen, ”the bishops said in their statement this week. Johnson & Johnson, along with other medical ethicists and medical experts, have emphasized that cells are not themselves fetal material.

Will this statement change the behavior of Catholics?

It’s unlikely. The USCCB can often be much more optimistic on the issue of abortion than the Vatican. Pope Francis, for example, spoke of the urgent need to get vaccinated to save lives without dwelling on the issue of cell lines; in fact, the Vatican offered the Pfizer vaccine to all of its citizens and made it a requirement for employees. Francis himself was vaccinated in January.

J. Patrick Hornbeck, professor of theology at Fordham University, said that in Catholic moral theology, the problem with medical research using fetal cells is the idea of ​​”cooperating with evil”. But the church can look at these issues with nuance, and most liberal and moderate thinkers in the church have agreed that concerns about drug companies profiting from the proceeds of abortion are outweighed by the need to save lives.

A small number of more mainstream American Catholics, who are paying attention to what the USCCB says, may decide not to receive the vaccine, despite statements from the Vatican. It is also possible that individual bishops who speak out against the vaccine may influence some Catholics. But a large number of Catholics disagree with American bishops on politically charged issues, such as LGBT rights and even abortion. (A 2016 Pew Research Center report found that only 8% of American Catholics said contraception was morally wrong, even though the church unequivocally opposed it.) “They are by no means aligned. with the bishops, ”Hornbeck said. “The practical impact will be minimal.”

The only meaning Hornbeck sees in the statement is as a data point for the conservative turn of the American bishops. “It seems to me that the USCCB has chosen to adopt a culture war mentality,” Hornbeck said. “It’s a shame that this easy enough call from Catholic moral theology is put to use in a way that might deter people from getting the vaccine they need.

Will this affect the way Catholic institutions distribute vaccines?

Catholic churches, schools, elderly care facilities and hospitals account for an important part of vaccine distribution in the country. The USCCB’s statement may affect how churches and schools choose to act and agree to distribute the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Archdiocese of New Orleans told the Religion News Service that it “is asking all Catholic entities to distribute vaccines in accordance with the ethical guidelines we have published.”

But it appears Catholic hospitals are committed to continuing to prioritize medical needs. The Catholic Health Association, which represents thousands of hospitals and other health facilities, claimed last month that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was “morally acceptable” and told the RNS this week that the USCCB statement would not affect its decision to distribute it.

Will Catholics be able to invoke their religious objection to avoid the J&J vaccine?

The bishops’ statement was clear that Catholics should only avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine if they have the option of choosing a different one. But experts say such a statement is unnecessary: ​​we don’t have the luxury of choosing in the midst of a global pandemic.

Most pharmacies and other vaccination sites will not tell you which vaccine you will receive in advance. But there are ways for someone with religious concerns to increase their chances of getting Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The most obvious way is to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The J&J vaccine is just being rolled out, so most places that currently distribute vaccines probably contain one of two RNA vaccines. One of the great advantages of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it can be stored more easily. So if a state needs to allocate its vaccine supply, it is more likely to direct its Moderna and Pfizer skittish vaccines to hospitals and other medical facilities more likely to have the freezers those vaccines need. And the J&J vaccine is more likely to be used in temporary places, such as parking lots, churches, and schools, that don’t have access to heavy medical equipment.

It will be several more months before the crisis is managed to the point where health experts expect to start thinking about more targeted use of vaccines. But Catholic experts and theologians are united in urging people not to wait that long. Even the USCCB made it clear in its December statement that getting a vaccine whenever it’s recommended by health officials is a moral imperative: “Receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines should be understood as a act of charity towards other members of our community. In this way, being safely vaccinated against COVID-19 should be seen as an act of love for our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good. “

Thanks to Antonio Alonso from Emory University; Noel Brewer of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Bernard Nahlen from the University of Notre Dame; Jonathan Temte of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; and Bruce Y. Lee of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.