CHA has joined a coalition of more than 30 Catholic organizations urging Americans to get vaccinated as an act of charity and solidarity with others that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and build immunity against the virus.
Sr. Mary
The coalition's members plan to use their social media platforms to share facts and correct disinformation about the vaccines. The campaign also will highlight the moral responsibility of doing good works for one another and encourage adoption of the Vatican's COVID-19 resource kit for church leaders, which provides content for the preparation of homilies and tailored messages that can be used for parish websites, bulletins and other media.
"As COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, we encourage everyone to seek the facts about how the vaccine works and understand that other measures, such as wearing a mask in public, will still be necessary," said Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, CHA president and chief executive officer. "Our health care workers have been heroically caring for COVID-19 patients and urgently need everyone to do their part to ensure we can finally overcome the virus."
Participating organizations, which also include Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, have committed to:
- Share information about the importance and moral responsibility of individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Provide human, spiritual, and pastoral support for those struggling to understand, affirm, and act on Catholic social teaching, including the teachings of Pope Francis and the U.S. Catholic bishops.
- Advocate for the equitable distribution of vaccine in the U.S. and globally.
The coalition is posting information and resources on issues related to COVID-19 vaccines at catholiccares.com.