A nurse prepares a dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Fasano, Italy, April 13, 2021. (CNS photo/Alessandro Garofalo, Reuters)
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Hawaii residents are free to claim a religious exemption from getting a COVID-19 vaccination where it is mandated, but they will not receive documentation from the Diocese of Honolulu to support such exemptions, mainly because the church has no objections to the vaccine. On the contrary, it wants people to get vaccinated.
The diocese made known its position in an Aug. 13 memorandum to pastors and parishioners from the diocesan COVID-19 Task Force.
“Please note that while the Diocese of Honolulu has not required anyone, including employees, to be vaccinated, vaccinations are highly encouraged,” the memo said. “Pope Francis has made it clear that being vaccinated can be an act of charity toward the community in order to curtail the spread of the virus.”
“While individuals may have differing opinions for medical or moral reasons, as of this memo, dated Aug. 13, 2021, the Diocese of Honolulu will not be granting religious exemptions from vaccine mandates imposed by others,” the memo said.
Other dioceses have issued similar directives.
Some people believe that, because the vaccines were tested or produced with cell lines originally derived from aborted fetuses more than 50 years ago, using them would be immoral.
However, because of the remoteness of the abortion connection and the dire need of antidotes to a deadly virus, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has declared that COVID-19 vaccines can be used in good conscience. Any objection to them would be by personal belief and not church teaching.
Bishop Silva received the first of his two doses of the Moderna vaccine in March 2021. (Courtesy photo: Dann Ebina)
The diocesan memo also confirmed existing pandemic protocols for Masses and other worship services and reinstated lower limits for indoor and outdoor social gatherings, following Gov. David Ige’s Aug. 11 executive order 21-05.
The primary restrictions for indoor church services — including face masks, six-foot distancing and pew sanitizing — remain in place.
However, the limit for indoor gatherings is back to 10 people and 25 people for outdoor gatherings.
Parishes that want to exceed those limits in any future event are asked to submit its mitigation plans to county officials and the diocese.
All other earlier diocesan directives remain in effect.
“Again, we continue to rely on the integrity of our pastors, parish leaders and all our faithful to consider the safety of our communities with continued urgency and attention,” the memo stated.
The members of the diocesan COVID-19 Task Force are chairman Deacon Keith Cabiles, diocesan chancellor; Lisa Gomes, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adults; Father Alfred Omar Guerrero, director of the Office of Worship; Jayne Mondoy, diocesan director of religious education; and Dara Perreira, diocesan human resources director.
