“Pope Francis has made it very clear that it is morally acceptable to take any of the vaccines.” 3 article titled, “Do Not Give Religious Exemptions for Covid Vaccines, New York Archdiocese Tells Its Priests.” The article reports that New York’s top Catholic leaders have warned priests: Do not lend legitimacy to the notion that the church supports COVID-19 vaccine exemptions. Catholic objectors are defying the popeįor a Catholic congregation to take this step could be considered a direct conflict with the position of the pope and global church leadership.Īmerica magazine, a Catholic journal, published an Aug. Patrick announced via Facebook that it will offer a sample religious exemption form to parishioners who are seeking a religious exemption to COVID-19 vaccination. “It is despicable for a business or government agency to force someone to take a vaccine that is unproven, dangerous and not fully tested,” the church said in a statement. Patrick, which is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Charlotte.Īt Freedom House, Pastor Troy Maxwell said he would write religious exemptions to employers who require vaccinations, the Observer reported.

In North Carolina, the Charlotte Observerreported on two congregations handing out religious exemption forms, Freedom House Church, a multi-campus nondenominational church, and the Cathedral of St. Pastor Gregg Farrington said his church is pro-freedom, not anti-vaccine, yet he’s been approached by “hundreds of people who feel morally compromised by mandatory vaccination requirements.” With the arrival of vaccine mandates, anti-vaxxers are turning to their religious beliefs as a new justification for refusing vaccination.ĭestiny Christian Church in Rocklin, Calif., now offers “religious exemptions” to anyone who asks for them, according to CBS Channel 13 in Sacramento. Turning political beliefs into religious exemptionsĪlthough opposition to COVID vaccines has been tracked more as a political issue than a religious belief, national polling consistently has shown that conservative evangelical Christians tend to be overly represented among the vaccine hesitant and the vaccine refusers.

Some of the nation’s largest employers now require vaccination for employees, as do a number of private universities, including some Catholic schools. The practice has arisen as more employers and schools issue mandates that employees and students must be vaccinated before returning to work or school. Churches in California and North Carolina are among those now offering congregants documentation for “religious exemptions” to the COVID-19 vaccine, a practice that is legally dubious and likely ineffective, according to labor lawyers.

Vaccine religious exemption letter