Have you had your vaccine yet? We can’t escape this question, and if the rest of the country follows the example of our nation’s foremost universities, those who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 are going to have some serious hurdles to encounter in their daily lives come this fall.
The Holy Father has encouraged everyone to be vaccinated, suggesting that it is a “moral obligation.” Pope Francis sounded baffled over why people would be vaccine-hesitant. “If the doctors are presenting this to you as a thing that will go well and doesn’t have any special dangers, why not take it?” he stated in a widely distributed January 2021 interview with an Italian news program.
When the Pope speaks ex cathedra on faith and morals, this is the Church speaking and these utterances are considered infallible (without moral error). But he is not infallible when he speaks off the cuff like this (his personality tends toward off the cuff, as we’ve seen!).
It should also be considered that the Pope made the above comments before many of the now well-documented adverse side effects had been reported. Side effects continue to be added to the list as they are encountered, given that mRNA technology has never been used as a vaccine delivery mechanism before now.
While the Pope’s remarks were decidedly pastoral in nature, they are worth pondering nonetheless. More than anyone, Pope Francis understands that the highest authority is always a person’s free will. By virtue of our Catholic faith, we cannot strong-arm anyone into making any kind of decision whatsoever. Love does not force itself on anyone.
As we continue to watch this nightmare unfold, some of us are stuck on why certain questions are not being answered. Where did this virus originate and under what circumstances? That seems like a basic question that should be furnished with a dynamic and vigorous public discussion.
Why all of the dualism? Can’t we take the vaccine and also talk about disingenuous, sensationalistic reporting, the mental collapse of our young people, conflicts of interest between government-appointed medical experts and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as cognitive dissonance at every turn?
If we weren’t sure before this pandemic, we can be sure now that we have little to no control over the events in our lives. We have no ultimate control over what kind of demands are placed on us by our government or even by our neighbour. All of this could leave us feeling powerless, or it could usher in a more childlike trust in God.
We don’t have to die on this hill or, more appropriately, in one of the many available rabbit holes. Eventually, we (or a part of us) will all die on one hill or another because no servant is greater than the master. He goes before us, always.
In Matthew’s Gospel, the temple authorities inquire with Peter about whether Jesus intends to pay the temple tax. In Jewish law, all rabbis and Levites are exempt. Peter, put on the spot, says yes, Jesus will pay.
Jesus, undoubtedly with a twinkle in his eye and so as “not to offend the people,” pays the tax. But he does so in a mic-drop kind of way, as we all recall. He tells Peter to catch a fish and look in its mouth for the currency. And sure enough, a coin for the exact amount is found in it. Never mind that being the Son of God (a.k.a. the most qualified rabbi ever) makes him exempt from paying.
With Christ’s example in mind, we must strive to bear his heart in the world. With him, we can say:
I will do what you require of me as a citizen of this world. I will submit to the human authority you have placed over me when that time comes. I will do so peacefully and without rebellion because I am on my way home. This world is not my home. And yet, I will be a perfect model of obedience and humility and, in so doing, I hope to lead as many people to you as possible. I will put aside my theories, my fears, and even my acute sense of danger. Every deed of darkness will be revealed for what it is. Every injustice and corruption will be set right. I will trust in you. But, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
