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US bishops endorse abortion-tainted COVID vaccine: ‘an act of love of our neighbor’
lifesitenews ^ | 12/15/2020 | David McLoone

Posted on 12/15/2020 10:47:54 PM PST by xomething

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) –The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) has announced that “the reasons to accept the new COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are sufficiently serious to justify their use, despite their remote connection to morally compromised cell lines.” The bishops add that receiving such vaccines are “an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.”

The document entitled “Moral Considerations Regarding the new COVID-19 Vaccines,” published yesterday by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, stated that use of the abortion-tainted Pfizer and Moderna developed vaccines is morally permissible.

The document opens by citing Pope John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae, asserting that abortion is indeed a grave moral evil, and that, on account of this, the USCCB has been “advocating for the development of a vaccine for COVID-19 that has no link to abortion.”

Relying heavily on the 2005 document “Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared from Cells Derived from Aborted Human Foetuses” produced by the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAL) and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (CDF) 2008 “Instruction on Certain Bioethical Questions (Dignitas Personae),” the bishops build a case for why they think the Pfizer and Moderna developed vaccines can be morally neutral, and even good.

The document cites three principal reasons why the vaccines could be morally permissible. The first and second points are closely related, both hinging on the ostensible requirement of a vaccine to contain a virus that poses a real and present danger: “[f]irst, at least at present, there is no available alternative vaccine that has absolutely no connection to abortion. Second, the risk to public health is very serious, as evidenced by the millions of infections worldwide and hundreds of thousands of deaths in the United States of America alone.”

The bishops note that “the Congregation [CDF] affirms that a serious health danger could justify use of ‘a vaccine which was developed using cell lines of illicit origin, while keeping in mind that everyone has the duty to make known their disagreement and to ask that their healthcare system make other types of vaccines available’.”

Whilst it is true that there are not yet any vaccines approved and available which are free from abortion-related development, many experts believe that there is not actually a need for a COVID-19 vaccine in the first place.

Dr. Theresa Deisher, founder and chief scientist of the Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute, has questioned the necessity of a vaccine against COVID-19, saying: “[w]e're making a vaccine at warp speed for a virus that doesn't look like it's going to need a vaccine.”

Deisher explains that “this virus to date has less than a 0.03% fatality rate and most of those people, I believe it's 92% or above, have other health problems.” She added that developing a vaccine in such a quick time frame “is possible, but I don’t believe it is desirable, nor do I believe that it’s safe,” with as much as “15% of the very healthy young volunteers [experiencing] significant side effects.”

The third point raised by the bishops is that of a shared responsibility for those most vulnerable to the disease. They state that “we cannot omit fulfilling serious obligations such as the prevention of deadly infection and the spread of contagion among those who are vulnerable just to avoid the appearance of scandal.”

The document does nonetheless acknowledge that “neither vaccine [Pfizer nor Moderna’s] is completely free from any connection to morally compromised cell lines.” The documents also states that the “AstraZeneca vaccine is more morally compromised” since the “HEK293 cell line was used in the design, development, and production stages of that vaccine, as well as for confirmatory testing” and says that the AstraZeneca vaccine ought to be avoided “if there are alternatives available.”

Last week, a group of bishops released a joint statement challenging the use of abortion-linked vaccines in all circumstances. “Any link to the abortion process, even the most remote and implicit, will cast a shadow over the Church’s duty to bear unwavering witness to the truth that abortion must be utterly rejected,” the group stated, adding that the“ends cannot justify the means.”

The group, consisting of Cardinal Janis Pujats, Archbishop Tomash Peta, Archbishop Jan Pawel Lenga, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, criticize statements from other bishops that seek to justify the use of abortion-linked vaccines on the basis of “remote and material cooperation.”

“Such affirmations are extremely anti-pastoral and counterproductive, especially when one considers the increasingly apocalyptic character of the abortion industry, and the inhuman nature of some biomedical research and embryonic technology,” they said.

The group stated that “as Successors of the Apostles and Shepherds responsible for the eternal salvation of souls, we consider it impossible to be silent and maintain an ambiguous attitude regarding our duty to resist with “maximum of determination” (Pope John Paul II) against the “unspeakable crime” of abortion (II Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 51).”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; bot; postandrun; prolife
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1 posted on 12/15/2020 10:47:54 PM PST by xomething
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To: xomething

Well, all except for that one neighbor you murdered to make it. Guess it’s cool not to love them.


2 posted on 12/15/2020 10:52:18 PM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. .... )
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To: xomething

Tainted cells?


3 posted on 12/15/2020 11:04:01 PM PST by yldstrk (Bingo! We have a winner!)
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To: DesertRhino

No one was murdered to make either vaccine.

First, neither Moderna nor Pfizer used fetal stem cells in the R&D for their vaccines. http://phillycatholiclife.org/life-affirming-choices-3/covid-19-vaccines-explained/ and https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2020/11/use-of-pfizer-moderna-covid-19-vaccines-is-morally-acceptable-say-bishops/

What DID happen was some after-the-fact confirmation testing. But at no point during the research, development, or production of the vaccines were fetal stem cells used in any way.

Second, none of the vaccines required anyone to be murdered in order to produce them. The HEK-293 fetal stem cell line originates from an elective abortion that took place in 1973. The abortion was performed because the mother chose to do it; not because anyone forced her to do so, nor because anyone wanted stem cells. It was just one of the many, many unfortunate abortions that took place that year and the stem cells were taken after it was done. Nobody had heard of COVID-19 in 1973. Nobody forced the mother to have the abortion. “Neighbor you murdered to make it” is absurd even for the vaccines that actually used fetal stem cells in their R&D, and that’s coming from someone who DOES agree there’s a moral problem with using them. We have other, more ethical methods of developing medicines and vaccines. They’re a little less efficient, but frankly, tough.


4 posted on 12/15/2020 11:06:00 PM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: 2aProtectsTheRest

Exactly. Can’t let facts get in the way of an agenda. Even if I agree with the agenda doesn’t make it right to misrepresent reality.


5 posted on 12/15/2020 11:38:03 PM PST by newzjunkey (Purdue in GA for the Senate - Vote Giant Meteor in 2020)
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To: xomething

Why are so many pushing this vaccine? Something is not right. There is much more to this story. This “flu” has a 99% survival rate for healthy people, maybe even better than that. Something is not right.


6 posted on 12/15/2020 11:40:54 PM PST by exnavy
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To: xomething

Yea old common good argument. Funny how they dont accept the left’s common good argument for abortion. You know.. the safety of a child born to a poor mom, a depressed mom, a mom with an abusive husband.
Mustcbe the money.


7 posted on 12/15/2020 11:47:46 PM PST by momincombatboots (Ephesians 6... who you are really at war with)
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To: exnavy

There are people who would love to inject their toxins into everyone.


8 posted on 12/16/2020 12:06:14 AM PST by Arcadian Empire
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To: xomething

https://freerepublic.com/donate/


9 posted on 12/16/2020 1:10:38 AM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (MAGA!!!)
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To: exnavy

The Infection Fatality Rate for COVID-19 is 0.65%. With an R0 of 2.5, that’s 60% before we reach the Herd Immunity Threshold. Everything doesn’t magically stop when we hit that number, but that’s the beginning of the inexorable decline of infections due to lack of available vulnerable hosts. In the US, with our population of 330 million, that’s 198 million just to reach HIT. 0.65% of 198 million is ~1.3 million.

Nobody should want to see 1.3 million dead Americans. THAT is why people are pushing the vaccines. The two in the approval phase - Pfizer and Moderna - have been proven safe and effective with the same process used to approve every other drug and vaccine on the market.


10 posted on 12/16/2020 1:23:31 AM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: 2aProtectsTheRest
"The two in the approval phase - Pfizer and Moderna - have been proven safe and effective with the same process used to approve every other drug and vaccine on the market."

Similar process but shrunken down timewise by a factor of about ten, including testing. Sound safe to you?

11 posted on 12/16/2020 1:35:38 AM PST by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: steve86
"Similar process but shrunken down timewise by a factor of about ten, including testing. Sound safe to you?"

The development of the vaccine candidates was not unusually short for this point in time. In the 1950s it took 10+ years to develop a viable vaccine candidate for testing. By the 1990s it was down to 5 years. 2 years for SARS2003. 7 months for Zika in 2014. 6 months for Ebola in 2016. So 2 months for SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 is not the least bit unreasonable. It's not even unexpected. It's a gradual, logical progression build on a firm base of knowledge and experience with new technology and scientific advances streamlining processes.

As for the testing, there are multiple pathways for accelerated review and approval for new drugs and vaccines where appropriate. President Trump declared it was appropriate to use the various quicker options for review and approval. Here is an article from 2018 (long before anyone heard of COVID-19) discussing the options and their associated timelines.

Again, nothing unusual about any of this. Anyone who tells you these were rushed is probably a Democrat, or at least is parroting nonsense talking points from Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Governor Cuomo, and Governor Newsom. They've all claimed President Trump rushed the vaccines and they're dangerous. Louis Farrakhan claimed the vaccines are unsafe as well.

So you can be on the side of President Trump - who championed these vaccines and oversaw the process - or you can be on the side of Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, and Louis Farrakhan in claiming these vaccines were rushed and are dangerous. So which is it?

12 posted on 12/16/2020 1:50:48 AM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: momincombatboots

Except there are no fetal cells involved here.

Read the rest ofthe thread.


13 posted on 12/16/2020 1:59:10 AM PST by freedumb2003 ("Do not mistake activity for achievement." - John Wooden)
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To: momincombatboots

You’re right...’For the LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil...’. Anyone who believes these vaccines were developed for the ‘common good’ is living in denial...as usual.


14 posted on 12/16/2020 2:07:55 AM PST by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...siameserescue.org)
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To: 2aProtectsTheRest

Seeing how the death rate hasn’t risen significantly even in the midst of a supposedly horrific pandemic, one must assume that Covid is standing in for another deadly condition or disease, such as pneumonia or influenza. And seeing how 8000 ppl die per day and nobody bats an eye, one has to wonder why this “deadly virus” merits such a push for the first ever messenger RNA vaccine that has skipped animal trials and has a 21% chance of adverse symptoms in the recipient. Please enlighten us as to how this is a good thing for Americans and why we should rush to embrace it. Because I’m not buying it.


15 posted on 12/16/2020 2:12:24 AM PST by Prince of Space (Irish lives matter!)
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To: Prince of Space
"Seeing how the death rate hasn’t risen significantly even in the midst of a supposedly horrific pandemic"

Strike 1!

"first ever messenger RNA vaccine"

STRIKE 2!

Rabies, cytomegalovirus, and VEEV.

"skipped animal trials"

STRRRRRRIKE 3! YER OUT!

Pfizer and Moderna did not skip animal trials

Pfizer touts animal trial results for COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Pfizer, BioNTech report 'strong' immune response in animals to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate

Moderna Vaccine Test in Monkeys Shows Promise

16 posted on 12/16/2020 2:33:34 AM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: exnavy

It is running its coarse 99 % survival rate and they are still pushing the fear porn, masks, lockdowns and the vaccine, WHY?? I believe we all know the answer


17 posted on 12/16/2020 2:46:12 AM PST by ronnie raygun ( Massive mistakes are made by arrogant fools; massive evils are committed by evil people.")
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To: 2aProtectsTheRest

Those two companies are some of the one listed as being infiltrated by the chicoms. No thank you.


18 posted on 12/16/2020 2:47:59 AM PST by exnavy
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To: ronnie raygun

A people in fear arr controlable.


19 posted on 12/16/2020 2:50:27 AM PST by exnavy
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To: xomething

Scumbags.


20 posted on 12/16/2020 3:29:00 AM PST by angmo (#joeknew)
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