A Catholic church in San Francisco pushed back a visit from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone scheduled for a Dec. 19 Mass after he recently revealed that he’s unvaccinated.
Pastor and Jesuit father George Williams informed the parish of St. Agnes Catholic Church in the Haight of the decision in a church bulletin last weekend. He wrote that he had called the archbishop and asked him to reschedule his visit for a later time “because many people in the parish had expressed concern about this.” Williams did not specify a later date for a visit.
“I feel it is important that everyone feel safe, and we all do our part to prevent the spread of COVID19, especially now with the new Omicron Variant. These are stressful times enough and I felt his pastoral visit to us would be overshadowed by concerns about the pandemic,” Williams wrote in the bulletin. “I urge anyone in our parish who has not yet been vaccinated to do so. Pope Francis said, “Getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.”
Williams didn’t immediately return a request for comment….
The above comes from a Dec. 10 story in the San Francisco Chronicle.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone defended his decision not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, contradicting public health officials’ medical advice and Pope Francis’ calls for vaccinations as an act of love. NCR readers responded to his statements. The letters have been edited for length and clarity. To join the conversation, follow the guidelines below.
The pope has well stated our Christian obligation to vaccinate in compliance with Christ’s great commandment that we love one another. Should the archbishop be denied Holy Communion because of his ongoing and deliberate ” sinful” conduct and especially as a public figure?
MICHAEL GILL
Sydney, Australia
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This man should be censured and relieved of his duties. He is in danger of being an asymptomatic carrier and, as such, is a wolf in sheep’s clothing among the flock of humanity. None of his actions should ever be considered in light of “personal choice.” His actions should be inspired only by “good for all.”
ALEXANDRA HAAG
San Diego, California
***
What I have long suspected has been proven true: some clerics in the upper ranks of the Catholic hierarchy are not immune from stupidity!
PHYLLIS LaMONTAGNE
Spencer, Massachusetts…
The above is from a Dec. 10 feature in the National Catholic Reporter.
NCR a reliable trash bin of progressive hate….
This church is beautiful. Next visit to San Francisco, this will be on my list of must attends.
Hope you enjoy getting your car broken into and your property stolen or mugged on the street.
I would not enjoy that, anonymous poster named Hope you enjoy. I did not realize the crime surge has affected the Haight but you are correct. I will pray for them.
I have been told by some (and not my bishop or pastor) that unless I preach in a homily that everyone should get vaccinated that I don’t love my neighbors and am not a good deacon or Catholic and I’ve been told that unless I preach in a homily that everyone should not get vaccinated that I don’t love my neighbors and am not a good deacon or Catholic. It is not the role of clergy to make personal medical decisions for our parishioners (or others). There are matters of prudential judgment where licit choices among believers may differ. This is not a matter of an intrinsic evil (at this point in time). We are not called to judge others hearts and motives based on decisions that might not be the same as ours. And, shouldn’t we respect one another’s privacy? (None of us know the medical conditions of everyone else and what their medical care providers might have advised them.) Can we stop judging and work toward healing divisions that have arisen in parishes, workplaces and even in families?
And, honestly, is there some other reason why this pastor does not want the archbishop visiting?
Start with the fact the pastor is a jesuit
This archbishop doesn’t want 666 tattooed on his forehead! God bless him!
One blessing of the pandemic is that you can immediately identify the morons as those who wear masks and push vax mandates.
If the omicron virus evades the vaccine, then what is the point of being jabbed? The good father makes no sense, which is common among those who push the jab.
just dose everyone with prophylactic ivermectin before they step inside the church
The pastor utilizes the moral reasoning of the USCCB statement from a year ago, when the vaccines were first available, that two of the main vaccines were derived in a “remote” way from aborted fetal tissue experimentation, and the testing of the vaccines utilized aborted fetal tissue, and that this was permissible because, given the possible severity of the virus, and that there did not appear to be any viable alternatives at the time, and that Pope Francis said it is “charity to our neighbor” to take the vaccine, then it is morally permissible.
Yet, there have been viable alternatives utilized in poor countries( India, for example) that did not have access to this vaccine, which have proven to be successful, are affordable and accessible, and do not utilize immoral methods in their production. Furthermore, Pope John Paul, in his encyclical “The Gospel of Life” n. 62 and 63 clearly states that it is immoral to use aborted fetal tissue in testing of treatments, even if there is a “greater good”. He points out the consequences of not protecting the most vulnerable…the consequent treatment of human life as an object to be manipulated and discarded, one could conclude, even the scapegoating in society that leads to division and violence.
Where, then, is the “charity” in such “moral reasoning” that has such consequences? Thus, there is no need to scapegoat the “unvaccinated”. Moreso, young adults and children should not be mandated to take the vaccine in order to go to school. This is a private, medical, moral decision between them, their parents, and doctor. Doctors should be free, based on their experience, and medical studies, to prescribe proven therapies, and not be threatened with losing their license or medical groups for doing so. So, too, no worker should be threatened with the loss of their job for not showing evidence of their covid vaccine, again, a private, medical, moral decision
What really animated the moral reasoning of the USCCB or Pope Francis on these vaccines? Is it the same moral reasoning to turn a blind eye to McCarrick’s personal scandals, and still send him in 2018 to communicate with the CCP government our silence about religious persecution, and grave human rights abuses? Investigating who McCarrick is connected to will reveal the source of this reasoning.
Well said, Father!
those deeply concerned can simply stay home and avoid the pastoral visit. sounds a bit like our jesuit pastor really doesn’t want a pastoral visit from a holy man
The Haight rings loudly in that one.
I will never wear a mask in church. I will never show a vaccine pass to enter a church.
Thank you for letting us know your boundaries.
The Jesuits in SF are worse than the Castro Church
80% of omicron infections are among the fully vaccinated and boosted. This is a pandemic of the vaccinated.
Fake news
old fashioned Jesuits: rectitude
modern Jesuits: rectumtude
“The Jesuits in SF are worse than the Castro Church”
you mean the Cuban dictator
or the street in SF
or Both?
The district of the city (SF) named the Castro
Thank You, Lori !!!
I’m greatly relieved.