Denver Newsroom, Aug 23, 2021 / 18:01 pm
The five bishops of Wisconsin on Friday issued a message encouraging vaccination against COVID-19, while maintaining that people ought not be forced to accept a COVID vaccine.
“We encourage those eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to do so because it is the most effective way to combat this virus. We are all morally responsible to protect our lives and the lives of others. This is an imperative of natural law that we treasure in our faith,” the bishops wrote.
They also acknowledged “many health or ethical reasons why a person may refuse COVID-19 vaccination,” but added that “it is the responsibility of the individual” to explain their decision to decline the vaccine, and recommended that clergy not intervene in such cases.
“However, the Church also treasures her teaching on the sanctity of conscience,” they stated. “Nobody should violate the sanctity of conscience by forcing a person to do something contrary to his or her conscience.”