Covid-19
Vaccine Mandates and Exemptions
Where can I get the Conscience Exemption Form prepared by the National Catholic Bioethics Center?
Download it here: Vaccine Exemption Template Letter
Who should sign the Template Letter?
Individuals can complete the form and sign it themselves. It does not require a priest to “certify” or “authenticate” its contents. In certain dioceses, bishops have asked their priests not to sign exemption letters, and priests in those dioceses should follow that request. A priest does not have any particular expertise, insight or authority that would render him specifically apt to certify the state of the conscience of another person better than that person could do himself or herself by auto-attestation. Individual parishioners can thus themselves sign and certify the Template Letter which is self-explanatory and quite thorough in its rationale regarding the teachings of the Church on respect for conscience and conscience rights.
What if my employer says I have to get an "authorized signature" from a Church representative?
Not only should an “authorized signature” not be required, but Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield in Illinois observes that, technically speaking, even a written document is not actually required for a conscience exemption: “A religious, moral or other exemption of conscience should be ascertained not by documents, but by a simple conversation seeking only to establish that the individual has a sincerely held, reasonable belief that they should not receive the vaccine.”
If your employer is unwilling to accept your form and auto-attestation, and you cannot find another resolution, there may be legal entities that can assist you. Some non-profit law firms that address vaccine exemptions include the following:
More information about vaccine mandates and ethical concerns?
1. Father Tad's interview with Raymond Arroyo:
2. Father Tad's August 24, 2021 Sirius XM Radio Interview on The Catholic Channel:
3. Father Tad's short essays on mandating COVID-19 Vaccines:
Is Mandating a COVID-19 Vaccine Ethical? (September, 2020)
Vaccine Mandates and Catholic Colleges (April, 2021)
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