Florida Catholic Bishops Reject State AG's Demand for Religious Vaccine Exemptions

Florida's Catholic bishops have rebuffed a demand from Attorney General James Uthmeier to offer religious exemptions for school vaccinations. The bishops stated that the Church supports vaccination and does not recognize theological objections to it.

Uthmeier, a Catholic himself, had threatened to block funding to Catholic schools if they did not comply. He argued in an open letter that, in his view, there were no legitimate religious reasons to deny such exemptions, particularly concerning vaccines derived from abortion.

The state's Catholic schools currently only permit medical exemptions, verified by a healthcare provider. Florida law requires schools to allow religious exemptions, but the state's Catholic dioceses do not support this practice.

The attorney general's intervention highlighted a conflict between state policy and the established practices of the Catholic Church in Florida regarding vaccination.