NY Bishops Statement on (So-Called) Equal Rights Amendment

Please take a moment to read the NY State Catholic Bishops’ statement on the (so-called) Equal Rights Amendment (aka Proposition One). This will be on the ballot and we urge you to be informed!

The Bishops conclude:

“Proposal 1 is a wolf in sheep’s clothing that could lead to darkness for many New York families. This amendment disregards the lives of unborn and struggling children in the name of political agendas. It could have dangerous consequences for these children and their parents. As they look to make their voices heard in the public square, faithful Catholics should consider these consequences and vote no. Likewise, they should thoughtfully vote their informed conscience up and down the ballot so that we might usher in change for good.”

Religious Exemptions

Today Governor Hochul said this: ‘There are not legitimate religious exemptions because the leaders of all the organized religions I have said There’s no legitimate reason and we are going to win that in court in a matter of days.

https://www.whec.com/rochester-new-york-news/300-400-religious-exemptions-at-urmc/6251875/

While it is true that the Pope has endorsed the currently available vaccines, the Governor’s statement is misleading, at least as far as the Catholic Church Teaching is concerned.

While we certainly respect the Pope’s stance and encourage vaccination, it is not true that Church Teaching is unequivocally in support of those currently available.

Update – Vaccine Religious Exemptions

Now that that Judge Hurd has temporarily stayed the NY ban on religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care professionals, we understand there has been a flurry of such requests locally. We also understand that many have been granted (though we do not know how many total or what percentage).

Our recommendations regarding how to go about requesting a religious exemption are here. If you have any questions you can contact us. We also recommend that you speak with a trusted priest who can help guide you in thinking through this difficult issue.

We recognize that this is a challenging time in many ways. Please know that we are praying for everyone who is struggling, whether with the pandemic generally, the vaccine mandate, or anything else! Always remember that we have recourse to our Lord though the Saints and most especially the Blessed Virgin Mary!

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Pray for Us!

Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, Pray for Us!

Religious Exemption to Vaccine Mandate

The issue of religious exemptions to the COVID vaccine mandate continues to evolve and, in all honesty, remains quite confusing.

The U of R has announced that they WILL now consider religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate (details below), though we have been unable to confirm that NY State has reinstated the possibility of such exemptions, which were recently removed.

We understand that the official online form for U of R employees will be available starting on September 7, 2021 and can be found here (url: https://tools.mc.rochester.edu/covid-vaccination-status/login).

We would like to reiterate, in accord with the recent CDF statement, our support for neighbors, friends, and colleagues who in good (and with a well-formed) conscience choose to accept OR decline COVID vaccinations in accordance with Church teaching.

All that being said, here are some details we hope will be helpful for U of R employees who are interested in obtaining a religious objection to COVID vaccination…

The U of R form directs:

In your own words, please provide a written statement in the space below that outlines your genuine and sincere religious belief contrary to the practice of immunization. The statement should specifically describe the religious principles that guide your objection to vaccination and must include the underlined words above. Documentation prepared by a third party to whose views you ascribe will not be acceptable. Please indicate whether you are opposed to all vaccinations and if not, the religious basis that prohibits a particular vaccination, such as the COVID-19 vaccine.

As the document requires each person to put their reasoning in their own words, we will not here provide any verbatim suggestions, rather we will provide general recommendations that you can use to compose your uniquely-worded argument (though if you would like personalized assistance, please contact us!).

Points to consider for inclusion:

  • So long as it is true, be certain to include the exact phrase, “genuine and sincere religious belief” as it relates to your opposition to receiving any of the currently-available COVID vaccines.
  • If there is a COVID vaccine in development that you WOULD accept, such as one developed without the use of cell lines form aborted children, indicating this may lend credibility to your thoughtful refusal of those that are currently available. You can find the vaccines currently underdevelopment that meet this criterion from the Charlotte Lozier Institute or on Fr. Tad’s site.
  • We also recommend that you quote directly from the CDF document: Note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines, including in particular the opening line of paragraph 5, “At the same time, practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary.” Note the use of “must be mandatory.” This is a strong statement and admits of no reasonable variation of interpretation. Please also note that this statement constitutes the official Teaching of the Magisterium and so provides solid ground for a Catholic to form his or her conscience.

We hope that this guidance is helpful. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or criticisms, please know that we encourage you to share them with us!

Religious Exemption…

We received word this evening that the U of R will now be offering the opportunity for staff to request religious exemptions to the COVID vaccination mandate. Stay tuned for more details…