Wednesday Afternoon, October 13, 2021 |
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Happy 246th Birthday U.S. Navy
246 years ago today, on October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress established an American naval force, converting and constructing a small fleet of ships to disrupt British commerce, marking the beginning
of the United States Navy.
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ARCHBISHOP FOR MILITARY SERVICES TIMOTHY P. BROGLIO STATES SERVICEMEMBERS OF CATHOLIC FAITH SHOULDN'T BE FORCED INTO COVID VACCINE
“No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience”
—Archbishop for Military Services Timothy P. Broglio
MRFF RESOLUTELY DISAGREES!
Read MRFF Founder and President
Mikey Weinstein's Statement Below
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Archbishop for Military Services Timothy P. Broglio
(The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual
information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.)
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MRFF FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
MIKEY WEINSTEIN'S STATEMENT
ON ARCHBISHOP BROGLIO'S COMMENTS
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
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“Let me remind all Americans, all United States armed forces members and especially all sailors, soldiers, Marines, airmen, and guardians who practice the Catholic faith that Archbishop for the Military Services, Timothy P. Broglio, is NOT in their military chain of command and wears NO military rank whatsoever. Thus, he has ZERO impact upon the lawful orders from their ACTUAL Department of Defense chain of command to expeditiously get the COVID-19 vaccines.
The utterly specious and dangerous argument of Archbishop Broglio that American military members of the Catholic faith may refuse to get this critical COVID-19 vaccine so as not to violate the “sanctity of his or her conscience” is not only abjectly absurd; it is patently felonious under the military’s strict criminal code known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Parker v. Levy (417 U.S. 733) way back in 1974 that military members do NOT have anywhere NEAR the same width, breadth, or other relative magnitude of First Amendment rights (to include religious expression and religious practice rights) as do their American civilian counterparts. This wise, controlling U.S. Supreme Court case makes it quite clear that the compelling governmental interest, when it comes to such constitutional rights for the American military, is to maximize unit cohesion, good order, morale, discipline, mission accomplishment, and health and safety of the troops.
I EMPHASIZE ‘HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE TROOPS’ here!
Obviously, allowing Catholic armed forces members to refuse the direct orders of their commanders, including their Commander-in-Chief President Biden, to get swiftly inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines, pursuant to the personal dictates of 'General/Admiral/Archbishop’ Broglio, is totally counter to the U.S. Constitution, its construing Federal caselaw, a slew of DoD directives, instructions and regulations, the UCMJ and even the very Core Values of the military services.
Shall we next carefully consult Archbishop Broglio to get his prior blessed OK whenever our commanders order our troops to ‘take that hill’ or 'bomb that military target’ or 'sink that ship’?
Indeed, Pope Francis has received the COVID-19 vaccine himself and has strenuously urged all others to likewise get inoculated, calling doing so 'an act of love.’
This 'Archbishop for the Military Services’ has now shamefully rebranded himself as the ‘Archbishop for Military Interference Idiocy.’
What an ignominious imbroglio has just been ignited by this imbecilic Archbishop Broglio!
He should be universally ignored. He should be profoundly ashamed of himself."
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MRFF currently represents just under 76,000 and counting active duty U.S. marines, sailors, soldiers, airmen, cadets, midshipmen, national guard, reservists and veterans, including matters involving High School JROTC around the nation, about 95% of whom self-identify as practicing Christians, and just over 18,000 are of the Catholic Faith.
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MRFF AD. BOARD MEMBER TED FURLOW
RESPONDS TO MIKEY'S STATEMENT
ON ARCHBISHOP BROGLIO'S COMMENTS
Jesuit educated from high school, a Master’s Degree
in theology, decades of parish level and diocesan level ministry,
and 16 years as the Pastoral Planner for a Diocese
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
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Mikey, Just read your response to Archbishop Broglio regarding religious exemption from Covid vax. As a participating Catholic, I am stunned at his hubris, poor theology, and lack of practical pastoral sense. Injecting his opinion into this very personal decision is clearly wading in the latrine.
Our fundamentalist brothers and sisters have used some very weak Old and New Testament Bible bites to rationalize the same choices. Objecting Catholics generally have based their argument on the belief that vax research used stem cells from aborted babies to create the product. While that may be true, the causal link – a key part of the ethical standard - is remote, since it would have possibly been a contributor to the vax, but way upstream. The Vatican has made quite clear that there is no moral issue in being vaxed, and as you point out, the Pope has himself been vaxed and has encouraged everyone to join him.
Archbishop B believes that he is exercising his ecclesial role as shepherd and pastor of his flock with this advice, but in truth he is showing his contempt for the Pope, waving his conservative Trad colors, paying poor homage to the anti-abortionist, and demonstrating an incredible lack of common sense.
There is a sizable pro-vax argument based on our Catholic call to community, that while too large for this message, finds itself at the center of the Gospels. Anyone who uses this weak excuse for rejecting an order to be vaxed does so not only at their own peril, but to the peril of those around them.
Your faith is not a crutch, never surrender your common sense.
Ted Furlow
MRFF Advisory Board Member
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DEFENSE ONE
Catholic Troops Can Refuse COVID Vaccine, Archbishop Declares
By: Elizabeth Howe
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
“No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine
if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience”
—Archbishop for Military Services Timothy P. Broglio
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USA TODAY
Would you get COVID-19 vaccine if the pope asked you to? He calls it 'an act of love.'
By: Elizabeth Weise
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
“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. Getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable. Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19”
—Pope Francis
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Reserve Military Officer Thanks MRFF for Helping Them
Defend Themselves Against Anti-Semitism and for Being
a “Listening and Compassionate Ear”
"a note of gratitude"
Dear Mr. Weinstein,
I am a reserve military officer. Despite devoting considerable volunteer time of my own throughout my career to help reservists navigate their DoD employment rights, karma struck and I recently encountered a serious problem of my own. My Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and EEO rights were violated. I experienced systemic anti-semitism and Christian supremacy and I learned first-hand how challenging it is to navigate legal and regulatory hurdles in the U.S. armed forces to defend myself.
What I needed most was a listening and compassionate ear, and then I needed straightforward advice to help me find the best direction to pursue resolution. You and MRFF provided me all of the above. You answered my emails and calls even on weekends. I can’t thank you and MRFF enough for being there for me during this hard time.
Thank you for your bold powerful work you do.
Signed,
Military Reserve Officer (U.S. Military Reserve Officer’s name, rank, title and installation all withheld)
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