There is a certain moral consideration in people’s daily decision making. It is as simple as deciding to purchase a fast-fashion brand, or as difficult as indicting a criminal while sitting as a member of the jury.

The moral quandary regarding the recent COVID-19 vaccine is one of the newest considerations to make. Whether or not to get the COVID-19 vaccine is perhaps the biggest divide in our country today, and has led to major uproar in schools, work environments, travel and everyday life.

Personally, it was a shock to find that the Catholic Church supported the COVID-19 vaccine. My previous biases against the Catholic Church regarding hot-button issues such as gay marriage and abortion rights made me believe that the church would be on the opposing Republican side of another hot button issue. I am in agreement with the Catholic Church’s stance on the COVID-19 vaccine, but on other issues, I am not in agreement with their stances.

It is no secret that those opposing the vaccine tend to lean politically right, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation in September that concluded 58% of Republicans have been vaccinated, compared to the 90% of Democrats. The morals and ideals of the Catholic Church and the Republican party seem to align on many topics; however, the COVID-19 vaccine appears to be a different story.

Catholics appear to be very willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, more so than some other religious affiliations in the U.S. Perhaps it’s because of the endorsement of the vaccine from Pope Francis, who suggested that health care, including the COVID-19 vaccine, is a moral obligation. Pope Francis urged members of the church to get vaccinated as “an act of love for oneself, love for our families and friends and all peoples.”

This stance toward vaccines is not new for the church. Looking back at past vaccines, the Catholic Church’s undeniable support for vaccines was evident in the 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, which killed 50 million people.

A group that has quite a high rate of vaccine acceptance is white Catholics in the U.S., with 68% already vaccinated or planning to be vaccinated, according to a survey published by the Public Religion Research Institution in April 2021. This was more than the 43% of white evangelical Protestants or the 60% of religiously unaffiliated citizens who are vaccinated.

The Catholic Health Association has been using the phrase #LoveThyNeighbor as part of a campaign to encourage vaccination among the Catholic community, as well as others who are willing to listen.

The Catholic community’s endorsement of the vaccine is even evident at St. Thomas, as our school requires on-campus students to be vaccinated this school year. St. Thomas employees are also required to be vaccinated, although now attending events, sporting games, and other activities do not require proof of vaccination.

The Catholic church’s frequent alignment with the political right in America led me to be surprised by its support of the COVID-19 vaccine. Digging further into the Catholic Church’s party affiliation, I found that American Catholics are sharply divided among party lines from a 2019 survey, which surprised me even a little more.

The circumstances surrounding the vaccine are simple. Just like the vaccine for chickenpox, polio and the flu, it is an act of love for ourselves, our families and our community. Everyone should view the Catholic Church as a positive example toward reaching the end of COVID-19 pandemic.

Macy Berendsen can be reached at macy.berendsen@stthomas.edu.