CAPE TOWN - While some Catholic bishops in the US, are urging Catholics to avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, claiming it was developed using cells from aborted foetuses, Catholic archbishop of Durban, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier says he has no moral objection to the vaccine.
Earlier this week, the Archdiocese of St Louis in the US encouraged Catholics to seek the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and avoid the Johnson & Johnson version if possible because it was “morally compromised”.
However, Napier said The Vatican considered that, since the cell lines were developed from aborted foetuses as long ago as 1960, the vaccines in production today would probably contain little more than trace elements of the original cell material.
“It is therefore not necessary for each local Church or Diocese to take a position, especially as it is unlikely that it would have the qualified personnel to tackle every issue that is raised in the media,” he said.
According to the Pontifical Academy for Life teachings, Catholics have a duty to request and use only vaccines that are developed and produced in a morally acceptable way.
The Pontifical Academy for Life said: “We believe that all clinically recommended vaccinations can be used with a clear conscience and that the use of such vaccines does not signify some sort of co-operation with voluntary abortion.
“While the commitment to ensuring that every vaccine has no connection in its preparation to any material originating from an abortion, the moral responsibility to vaccinate is reiterated in order to avoid serious health risks for children and the general population.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson said there was no foetal tissue in its vaccine.
“Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine is made using a harmless cold virus, called an adenovirus, the same technology it used to produce a successful Ebola vaccine. The adenovirus is grown using what’s called an immortalized cell line, and the virus then is pulled out and purified,” it said.