A Catholic has a right to seek an exemption from a vaccine requirement, but that decision shouldn’t depend on a priest’s confirmation, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said in a letter to priests Aug. 20.

He said that several priests have asked him for guidance on requests for letters in support of a religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

“It is an individual and personal decision whether to receive a COVID vaccine, and although the Church does support the right of a person to seek an exemption from vaccine requirements on the basis of their conscience, that is an individual decision that should not be dependent upon an attestation by a member of the clergy,” he said.

He encouraged priests to use requests for vaccine exception letters as an opportunity to share the Church’s teaching on vaccines in general, and the COVID-19 vaccines in particular. He directed the priests to the “Note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines” issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in December that explained that the COVID-19 vaccine “may be taken in good conscience, while noting that, as a general rule, vaccination must always be voluntary.”

He also pointed to Pope Francis’ recent video urging Catholics to get vaccinated as an act of love for others, and resources at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ website, archspm.org/covid19.

Priests who are asked for a religious exemption letter should ask the person to confirm that their employer or school is actually requiring a letter, Archbishop Hebda said.

“I am not presently aware of concrete situations locally where a school or employer is actually requiring a letter from a pastor or member of the clergy to support a request for an exemption,” he said. “In most cases, those over 18 only need to certify that they have an issue of conscience.”

If pastors do have a “concrete request” where such a letter is actually required, Archbishop Hebda referred them to Father Michael Tix, episcopal vicar for Clergy and Parish Services.

Father Tix told The Catholic Spirit that Catholics seeking religious exemption should first confirm with their employer or institution that the employer is indeed seeking a religious exemption letter, then bring their concerns or query to their pastor. Then, if the pastor determines there is a possible case for exemption, pastors may bring that to Father Tix’s attention.

In recent weeks, bishops across the United States have offered a range of perspectives on the question of religious exemption letters as more employers and institutions, including some Catholic hospitals and universities, are requiring employees or students to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to participate fully in in-person work, study or community life. Such requirements generally include exemptions for medical or religious reasons. However, some employees say they fear for their jobs if they refuse the vaccination.

The Archdiocese of New York, led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, said in July that its clergy should not provide religious exemption letters, stating that objection to the vaccine is based on one’s personal conscience but not his or her Catholic belief, as “Pope Francis has made it very clear that it is morally acceptable to take any of the vaccines and said we have the moral responsibility to get vaccinated.” The Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Diocese of San Diego have taken similar positions. Colorado’s bishops, however, provided their pastors a template for a religious exemption letter.

Catholics in the U.S. who object to receiving the vaccine on religious grounds typically point to the fact that available vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) all have a connection — through research and/or development — to tissues obtained through two abortions decades ago. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its 2020 “Note,” considers the moral objections to the COVID-19 vaccines in use. It explained that “when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.”