While there has been back-and-forth about vaccines in American Catholic circles, an array of powerful U.S. bishops and archbishops — including the current president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — have declared that they will not issue religious exemptions for Catholics.
Pope Francis has described getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as “an act of love.” The Vatican even has its own “green pass” vaccine mandate: All individuals wishing to enter the city-state must provide evidence they have received at least one dose of the vaccine, tested negative for the coronavirus or recovered from the disease. Those who refuse to get vaccinated must pay out-of-pocket for COVID-19 tests.
The Swiss Guard, which is tasked with protecting the pope, was even more strict, requiring vaccination for all members. Among its small force of 135, three ultimately refused and resigned their posts.
This article originally appeared here.
