Bishop: “Catholics deserve to know if their priest is unvaccinated” — a moral imperative

"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." 

— Luke 18:15-17 

… wants to save the little children

The Catholic Church in America is dying, and the Covid pandemic has speeded up that process. However, some priests and hierarchy believe that they are above the law, and they ignore the directives of the pope when it comes to protecting themselves and other from the virus. 

However, a bishop in Kentucky is one who has taken his priests to task for failing to vaccinate themselves, and he is forbidding them from having contact with some Catholics whom they are supposed to serve. 

Should Catholics take communion from a priest 

who is unvaccinated? Many older people are still worshipping remotely, and that is not likely to change for a while as the disease continues to rage through unvaccinated America. 

Lays it on the line

This bishop is not one who has been worrying about denying communion to Catholics as the culture warriors are doing. Instead, he is seeking to protect his flock,

Bishop John Stowe, O.F.M.Conv., last month asked that diocesan employees working at the Catholic Center in the Diocese of Lexington, Ky., vaccinate themselves against Covid-19, extending a mandate that had already been announced for faculty and staff at Catholic schools. 

The bishop said the diocese let go of “a handful” of employees who refused. When it came to priests in the diocese, the bishop said he turned to “moral persuasion,” urging them to vaccinate themselves as a way to protect parishioners. That seemed to work. About 92 percent of the diocese’s 50 priests have been vaccinated, a rate that puts them as a group well ahead of the 61 percent of adults in Kentucky who are fully vaccinated.

But for the few priests who chose not to be vaccinated, the bishop believes they owe it to their parishioners to be upfront about their status.

“When I found out that four of them still were not vaccinated, I said they had to disclose that to their people because people were expecting they would be vaccinated,” Bishop Stowe told America. 

He said he also told the unvaccinated priests that “they couldn't go into the homes of the sick or the homebound or be in close proximity” to worshippers.

Michael J. O’Loughlin, “Bishop Stowe: Catholics deserve to know if 

their priest is unvaccinated,” America, September 16, 2021

Forced priests to announce status at mass

The bishop made clear to the priests that they had to inform the people in the congregation of their status, and they did so,

News that at least two of the priests chose not to be vaccinated was revealed over the weekend. Videos of Masses held Sept. 11 and 12 at Christ the King Cathedral in Lexington include announcements at the end of Mass stating that the cathedral rector, the Rev. John Moriarty, and the parochial vicar, the Rev. David Wheeler, are unvaccinated.

Bishop Stowe was present at a Mass celebrated 

Saturday at the cathedral, during which a deacon read a statement attributed to Father Moriarty.

“The bishop has asked that Father David and I, Father John—I’m speaking for Father John—make an announcement that we are not vaccinated, so people can decide if they wanted to attend Mass where they were celebrating,” the deacon said.

In an email to America, Father Wheeler wrote, “Neither Fr. Moriarty nor I have chosen to make public comments, either within the liturgy or outside of it, about either our vaccination status or the reasons for our decision.” He referred to “the decision to make the announcement of our vaccination status.”

Michael J. O’Loughlin, America, September 16, 2021

“No regrets”

Bishop Stowe made not apologies for playing hardball, and many in his diocese appreciate it — though not all. 

If only other members of the hierarchy would follow his lead.

However, he said that he was especially concerned about the children,

“Kids, especially those under 12, have no choice about whether they get vaccinated,” he said. “And so it seemed to me that if teachers are going to be in a classroom with kids for several hours a day, in an enclosed space, they need to be vaccinated.”

Pope Francis, as well as many U.S. bishops, have encouraged Catholics to be vaccinated against Covid-19. 

Some bishops have gone so far as to say that religious exemptions should not be given to individual Catholics who do not wish to be vaccinated.

Michael J. O’Loughlin, America, September 16, 2021

Jesus loved the little children, as well as everyone in his flock. It seems to me that taking a vaccine is just following Jesus’ example. 

In Matthew’s version, the disciples tried to turn the children away, but Jesus would not allow them to do so.  By their actions, unvaccinated priests are doing the same thing.