Atlanta Archbishop tells Catholics to ‘get whatever vaccine is available to them’

ATLANTA — The Archbishop of Atlanta released a statement Wednesday encouraging Catholics in Atlanta to “get whatever vaccine is available to them.”

“I wish to reiterate and affirm my earlier statement in support of COVID-19 vaccines,” Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer said. “I have received both doses of a vaccine and have encouraged our priests to get theirs as soon as their age or risk group is able to do so.”

The statement comes after the archdiocese in other cities, including New Orleans and St. Louis, asked Catholics to avoid the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, calling it “morally compromised.”

[SPECIAL SECTION: COVID-19 Vaccine in Georgia]

The controversy started over the use of the HEK293 cells in the creation of the vaccine. The HEK293 cells reportedly originated from a fetus that was aborted in the Netherlands in 1973. Ethicists have noted that HEK293 cells used for vaccines are clones and are not the original fetal tissue.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement Tuesday saying, “Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns.”

[LINK: Where to find the COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia]

However, in December, the Vatican issued general guidelines regarding vaccines in which the Holy See said it was “morally acceptable” for Catholics to receive shots that used HEK293 cells for research.

“The Vatican makes clear that ‘all vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive,’” Hartmayer said Wednesday.

Hartmayer did, however, encourage Catholics to try for the other two available vaccines if possible.

“You should not delay getting your vaccine. Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are preferable. When there is no choice, you may receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” he said.

Hartmayer closed out his statement by saying that getting vaccinated is about more than just getting back into church.

“It is about protecting our vulnerable neighbors and supporting our communities as we recover from this devastating pandemic. So, please, wear a mask, keep your distance and get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you are eligible,” he said.

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