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FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Hoosiers who are Catholic are encouraged to get vaccinated for coronavirus, but The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is also urging parishioners to be fully informed about how the available vaccines were made.

Research shows that the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine was developed from abortion-derived cell lines.

“If I had a choice I’d rather take the choice I’d rather take Moderna or Pfizer than Johnson & Johnson, but one is not obligated,” Rhoades said. “The Vatican has said that it is ‘morally licit’ to use these vaccines.”

Rhoades said the reason the Vatican says it is morally okay for Catholics to get vaccinated, even if it is the J&J shot, is because it is a remote material cooperation with abortion. The J&J shot was developed from cell lines of an aborted fetus from the 1980s.

Nevertheless, Rhoades and other Catholic bishops throughout the U.S. said parishioners should not be put out the use of abortion cell lines. He said Catholic theology already exists making it morally okay to take part in things such as this as long as the cooperation between it and abortion is remote.

He added that getting a COVID shot is an act of charity.