Florida Bishops Push Back on Funding Threats over Vaccines
The bishops said vaccine policy is a church matter and cited First Amendment protections after the attorney general warned state funding could be at risk.
- On Monday, Florida Catholic bishops rejected Attorney General James Uthmeier's demand to adopt religious vaccine exemptions, defending their school policies as protected by the First Amendment after Uthmeier threatened to cut state scholarship funding.
- Uthmeier, who sent his initial letter July 31, argued Catholic schools place an "undue burden" on parental rights; he suggested institutions that do not follow state laws regarding exemptions should lose access to state-funded vouchers.
- About 86,000 students receive state scholarship funds at Catholic schools; Michael Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated that "government officials may no more determine the content of Catholic teaching than Church officials may determine the content of Florida law."
- Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami called the threat an "unprecedented and unexpected 'overreach'" by a state official, emphasizing that Catholic schools do not grant religious exemptions because current vaccine administration does not violate church teachings.
- Constitutional experts contend this inquiry misunderstands fundamental religious freedoms, while bishops maintain that determining the content of Catholic teaching remains a matter entrusted to the church alone, not to state functionaries.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida bishops push back on funding threats over vaccines
Florida Catholic bishops are challenging the attorney general over threats to pull school funding regarding vaccines.
Catholic World Report
National Catholic RegisterFlorida attorney general, Miami archbishop spar over vaccine exemptions in Catholic schools
A dispute between Florida’s Catholic bishops and the state attorney general over vaccine exemptions in Catholic schools is testing the boundaries between state law and Church authority. [...]
Florida Catholic bishops push back on state AG's threat to participation in school voucher program
(OSV News) — The Catholic bishops of Florida issued a staunch defense of their ability to determine policies for Catholic schools after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent them a letter demanding that Catholic schools in the Sunshine State adopt religious exemptions to vaccine requirements or risk their ability to participate in the state’s school voucher program. Michael B. Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Cathol…
Attorney General of Florida urges Catholic bishops to grant religious exemptions from vaccines in Catholic schools, alleging violation of parents' rights of conscience.
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