Requirements In Those to be Ordained

This was originally posted on Instagram on September 28, 2021.

In the last 18 hours I have been contacted by two different people in my archdiocese (Los Angeles) who informed me that yesterday Archbishop Gomez informed seminarians that they will be required to receive the Covid 19 vaccine in order to continue in their priestly formation. 💔💔

Both of those sources have told me that there are seminarians who are likely to leave and/or are already packed and leaving.

I know canon lawyers hate when lay people try to interpret canon law, but I combed through every relevant section of the Code of Canon Law and could find no justification for the Archbishop to require this. The quote in this section seems particularly problematic for this move. If young men meet the canonical requirements and yet are hindered unjustly... who is at fault? Certainly not the seminarians.

Will young men abandon their vocations because their shepherd is demanding of them something that flies in the face of 2000 years of Church teaching on conscience? 😭😭😭

May God have mercy on us.

If you are able, with charity and with filial piety, please contact the Archbishop’s office TODAY to beg him to reconsider this position. I fear for the repercussions of this mandate, both for the seminarians and for the archbishop himself.

PLEASE—I’m begging you—
1) keep the comments charitable. He is my shepherd even if I wholeheartedly disagree with this decision,
2) keep your letters, calls, and emails charitable as well,
3) ask ALL your like-minded friends and family to contact him and do the same,

AND FINALLY, PRAY.

Our Lady of the Angels, all you Holy Archangels, pray for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Telephone: (213) 637-7534
Email: Office.Archbishop@la-archdiocese.org

Archbishop Jose Gomez
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
3424 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2241