Skip to content

Pope for Pokes! Getting Coronavirus Vaccine Shows Christian Love

Be a loving Christian—get your shots!

Such is the message from Pope Francis and several Western Hemisphere cardinals promoting the safe and effective coronavirus vaccines:

Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from covid-19. They bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with one another.

…Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love. And helping the majority of people to do so is an act of love. Love for oneself, love for our families and friends, and love for all peoples.

Love is also social and political. There is social love and political love, it is universal, always overflowing with small individual gestures, capable of transforming and improving societies. Getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.

I pray to God that each one of us can make his or her own small gesture of love. No matter how small, love is always grand. Small gestures for a better future [Pope Francis, video, English transcription provided by Vatican News, 2021.08.17].

Amen, Father! Vaccines are small doses of love, and love is always grand. Catholic or not, show some social love, some political love, some Christian love—get your shots!

Don’t forget, back in January, Pope Francis said getting vaccinated for coronavirus was an ethical obligation, while refusing to get vaccinated to stop the pandemic was both inexplicable and sinful:

In an interview with the newscast TG5 that is expected to air Sunday evening, Francis called on everyone to get the vaccine. A transcript of the pope’s vaccination remarks, which were not immediately confirmed by the Vatican, was provided by Fabio Luca Marchese Ragona, the TG5 Vatican reporter who conducted the interview.

“It’s an ethical choice, because you are playing with health, life, but you are also playing with the lives of others,” Francis told the station. “I’ve signed up. One must do it.”

According to the transcript, the pope added, “I don’t understand why some say, ‘No, vaccines are dangerous.’ If it is presented by doctors as a thing that can go well, that has no special dangers, why not take it? There is a suicidal denial that I wouldn’t know how to explain” [Jason Horowitz, “Pope Calls Coronavirus Vaccinations an Ethical Obligation,” New York Times, 2021.01.09].

At least we know we count on the SDGOP’s Catholic spin blogger to try talking some sense into the irresponsible and obviously unChristian members of his party who keep trying to discourage vaccinations.

15 Comments

  1. sx123

    Pope has a good massage but could have said it 8 months ago..

    In the meantime, cranks have been claiming covid is just the flu, that the covid÷19 virus has never been found, and the covid-19 concept is part of a global conspiracy to convert the world to communism. Who comes up with this stuff?

  2. He did say it back in January, sx123. See the NYT quote and link from January at the bottom of my post.

  3. sx123

    Ah, my bad. I saw the article yesterday and assumed this was recent especially knowing some who still refuse to get vaccinated.

    If this article is that old, the uphill battle might even be worse than I thought.

  4. Supposedly, it’s biblically offensive to have a Jesuit Pope.

    Makes sense, now.

    Is this a Catholic depopulation event?

  5. No problem, sx123. The video came out this week; it is consistent with what Pope Francis has been saying all along.

    The Pope has likely read more Bible than any of us here. If he can call on his Christian training and determine that getting coronavirus vaccines is a good Christian act, he’s probably right. Catholics, Christians, and infidels, get your shots!

  6. jerry

    John Dale and myself were convinced by the Pope or someone (me science) to have our wonderful vaccine and we are very thankful for that. Now for our boosters!!!

  7. cibvet

    Jerry–I thought john dale’s science was vitamins for covid.

  8. jerry

    Nope, cibvet, those were mere words of his. Actions were taken, along with the vaccine, to curb the spread. While we both take vitamins, my science differs from John Dale’s as I actually believe in it.

  9. jerry

    In South Dakota, the covid/Delta continues to rise and so do the hospitalizations. We ain’t seen nothing yet as the superspreader NOem (is that sexist to call her that?) and her widdle rally thingy, are about to kickstart. Boy howdy, a super slo mo train wreck right in front of our eyeballs.

    Even if you’ve been vaccinated, like John Dale and me, still wear a mask, practice safe distancing, stay out of bars and restaurants, unless you can be outside, and stay safe. Remember, it’s coming for ya, be prepared.

  10. Actually Jerry, the virus is patiently waiting for fools and they are all over the place. The pub party is killing off their own now it’s sad and yet still they persist. Apparently they want it to morph into a virus that can attack Democrats or the vaccinated ones again.

  11. Arlo Blundt

    well..the Big Papa has it nailed when it comes to motivation to get the shots. Trumpies are a little short on spreading the love around…would rather spread the killer virus.

  12. jerry

    Our friend Stan Adelstein is turning 90!! Happy Birthday Stan. The guy is offering $100.00 bucks, yep, a Franklin, for 90 people who haven’t been vaccinated, to take the shot. Man, get protected and get a hundred bucks, what a guy.

    Too bad that John Dale and myself haven’t already been vaccinated or we would be pushing and shoving each other to be first in line.

  13. Adelstein is Jewish, Pope Francis is Catholic—evidently vaccines are part of America’s great Judeo-Christian tradition!

    I’m glad Stan is promoting vaccines. He’s a longtime sponsor of this blog, so we need to keep him alive for as long as we can! :-D

  14. Jake

    Yeah, great kudos to Stan; but isn’t it pathetic that we have those among us that won’t do zilch for the benefit of society on their own but wave a $100 bill and they crowd the hog-trough!
    Remember when he was labeled RINO (Republican in name only) by Party leaders?!
    Sorta like South Dakota Standard’s blog-writer that was smart enough to call out his party when it followed the orange ‘pumpkin’ trump trail of doom.

Comments are closed.