Page 52 - Vaccines

Vaccines and Catholic morality

nised by giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar (Mt
22:15–22//), but this is limited by the absolute authority
of God to whom we, created in his image and likeness,
are to give ourselves totally. The State exists to serve the
common good of those who are within its confines;
indeed the service of the common good is the sole reason
for and justification of the State.3⁰ It is there to punish
criminals, including those who deliberately or irrespon-
sibly destroy innocent human lives, but it is there also
“to reward good citizenship” (cf. Rom. 13:17; 1 Pet.
2:13–17) and hence to sustain and to promote those who
serve the common good of the people as scientists,
technicians, doctors, nurses, etc. In principle, the State
has responsibility for protecting the public good of
health, to ensure that measures are taken to enable those
who are sick to be properly treated, at least by establish-
ing and by monitoring minimal standards of health-care,
but also by ensuring that research is conducted into
known diseases, into new diseases as they arise, and that
people are protected against the spread of these diseases
and particularly of epidemics and of pandemics, which
may threaten the lives of vast numbers of those in their
care. It is this which legitimates also the development,
production and dissemination of vaccines against such
major threats to public health (the serious danger posed
by rubella, as signalled by the Declaration of the Pontif-
ical Academy for Life, is a clear example of this, as, of
course, is the dramatic nature of the current pandemic).
Nevertheless, the State’s role is not absolute, not only
because obedience to God comes before obedience to
human authority (cf. Acts 5:29), but also on the basis of
the principle of subsidiarity. The government is not itself
expert in health and must seek and follow professionally

3⁰ Cf. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, n. 74.

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