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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 02:18 PM Nov 2021

Maryland Catholic priest: vaccine mandates go against Jesus' teachings

A Towson, MD, Catholic priest spoke out against vaccine mandates while delivering his homily last weekend, saying “nobody” can dictate what enters someone’s body. Fr. Edward Meeks, who is the pastor at Christ the King Catholic Church in Towson, gave an almost 20 minute homily Nov. 21 — explaining his interpretation of the day’s chosen Bible readings — citing several verses from the Corinthians chapter indicating that vaccine mandates go against Jesus’ teachings.

“When we say Jesus is our Lord and King, what we are saying is that we owe our allegiance and our loyalty first and foremost to him and his kingdom,” Meeks said. The priest then rhetorically asked the parishioners how that allegiance might play out in every day life, continuing to cite the Corinthians verses that repeat “our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

“No earthly king or president or public health official or billionaire technocratic gets to dictate what we must put into our bodies, into these temples of the Holy Spirit,” the priest said. “That’s between us and God. Do you hear what I’m saying?”

“I do not and have not advised anyone whether they should or should not get the vaccine,” he said in the statement. “I have always held that is a matter of individual conscience, a principle that is held in very high regard by the Catholic Church.”

It is unclear what Meeks’ vaccination status is.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-priest-vaccine-homily-20211130-px4uu2sw3zf5rmmc2oo6u7ygtq-story.html

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Maryland Catholic priest: vaccine mandates go against Jesus' teachings (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Nov 2021 OP
"Individual conscience"-- you mean like getting an abortion? TreasonousBastard Nov 2021 #1
maybe the only individual conscience that matters here is his... Thomas Hurt Nov 2021 #2
So he goes against the Pope himself. The most holy man on earth berni_mccoy Nov 2021 #3
Like most Christians, he fails to understand Jesus' teaching about God-Caesar sanatanadharma Nov 2021 #4
I'd bet his own Catholic schools demand students Pantagruel Nov 2021 #5
Religion is a political tool. Thunderbeast Nov 2021 #6
DAMN you, yes, I mean it; get your anti-social 'teaching' out of my state. elleng Nov 2021 #7
Laughs In Birth Control Deep State Witch Nov 2021 #8
 

berni_mccoy

(23,018 posts)
3. So he goes against the Pope himself. The most holy man on earth
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 02:33 PM
Nov 2021

According to the Church is pro-vaccine saying the vaccines are God’s gift to humanity through our mastery of science.

Too bad none of the parishioners were willing to call him out on it during service. We’re I still a Catholic and at that service, I surely would have.

sanatanadharma

(3,714 posts)
4. Like most Christians, he fails to understand Jesus' teaching about God-Caesar
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 02:41 PM
Nov 2021

It seems to me that Christians fail to understand Jesus' teaching about rendering onto God and rendering on to Caesar.
It is more than coins, taxes, religion and government.
It is understanding the 'Permanent' and the 'temporal' and not trying to use the tools of the one in the sphere of the other.

 

Pantagruel

(2,580 posts)
5. I'd bet his own Catholic schools demand students
Tue Nov 30, 2021, 02:56 PM
Nov 2021

to be vaccinated for many other diseases before enrolling.It's usually state law.

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