Some religious leaders are speaking out in favor of Catholics receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops discouraged its use when possible earlier this week.
"We should oppose authorizing or funding research rooted in the taking of innocent human life," Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, told NPR.
That does not mean, though, "that people must shun medical treatments that can save lives because they were discovered through means of which we would not necessarily approve," he added.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has sparked debate among some religious communities because it was developed from stem cells obtained during two abortions decades ago. For these reasons, the bishops encouraged Catholics to receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines instead when possible.
However, due to limited vaccine supplies that are distributed throughout the country, choosing which brand of vaccine you receive can be difficult.
The Vatican released ethical guidelines regarding the vaccines, stating, "it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process" when "ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available," "where their distribution is more difficult," or "when various types of vaccines are distributed in the same country but health authorities do not allow citizens to choose the vaccine with which to be inoculated."
Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI were vaccinated on Jan. 14, according to a press release from the Vatican.
The Rev. Kirtley Yearwood, the chief mission officer of Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md., said the Catholic hospital plans to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to its patients, despite its controversial development method. ...
He added that the extent of the vaccine derived from the aborted fetuses is very small. ..
ALSO SEE: Some U.S. Faith Leaders Express 'Moral Concerns' About Johnson & Johnson Vaccine --NPR
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