
Statement of the Bishops of South Dakota Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination Requirements
Aug 10, 2021
We have recently received a significant number of inquiries from the faithful concerning general requirements for some persons to receive a Covid-19 vaccination.We addressed many moral aspects of choosing a vaccine in a statement on December 30, 2020. As we said then, one may accept Covid-19 vaccines in good conscience if certain conditions are met, but doing so is not a universal moral duty. We echoed the Vatican, which explained in a doctrinal note that “practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation.” Rather, with attention to the common good, the decision to receive a Covid-19 vaccination should be discerned in light of many factors, several of which we described in that statement.Now, recent inquiries from the faithful raise the corollary question of whether…