The FDA may now support the emergency use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, but some leaders of the Catholic Church aren’t quite sure.

Members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called the vaccine “morally permissible” but urged followers to seek one of the other two options since abortion-derived cells were used in development, production, and testing of the vaccine.

In Pinellas County, Father Gary Dowsey at Our Lady of Lourdes in Dunedin, says we need to look at the bigger picture.

“It’s not perfect. We’re not living in a perfect world. If we were in a perfect world, we wouldn’t have COVID. We wouldn’t need vaccines. But, we’re not. And we have to respond to this pandemic in the best way that we possibly can,” Father Dowsey said.

Spectrum News also reached out to the Diocese of Orlando. A spokeswoman referred us to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

She also shared a link that included a statement from Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’s Committee on Doctrine, and Joseph F. Naumann, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The statement read, in part:

“The approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines. Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. “

The Vatican released a statement in response to these concerns, saying, “It is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.”

Back in Pinellas County, Father Gary says the church is in no way excusing or supporting abortion, but accepting that being pro-life means supporting these potentially life-saving efforts.

“A part of our commitment to looking after life in a time like this is to get a vaccination. And that’s what we’re encouraging all our people to do – to be vaccinated. We’ve got to get out of this pandemic,” Father Dowsey said.

The USCCB urges people to opt for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines if given the choice, which Father Dowsey says he understands. But, he wants people to get whichever vaccine they have access to and says, based off the statement from the Vatican, they have nothing to feel guilty about.

“We want people to be able to come back together, to go back to their communities and their families in the way that they used to. And so the vaccine is going to help us restore that peace and harmony within our families, within our nation, and within our world. And that’s really what Jesus would expect of us,” Father Dowsey said.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg said in an email to Spectrum News that it agrees with the USCCB’s statement and prays for all impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.