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NEW YORK, May 24, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – The Catholic Archdiocese of New York, led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, is set to begin segregating the COVID-19-vaccinated and unvaccinated in its churches.

Numerous dioceses and parishes across the country are gradually beginning to segregate the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated.
The New York news outlet Gothamist reported that the archdiocese would “institute sections in its churches for unvaccinated parishioners or those who want to continue practicing social distancing.”

In addition to enforcing this separation of the congregation, only those who have received the abortion-tainted injections will be permitted to sing in the choir or serve on the altar.

It remains to be seen how or if parishioners’ vaccine status will be policed. 

In comments provided to the The New York Times, archdiocesan spokesman Joseph Zwilling revealed that the rules could vary between various parishes. “Some pastors and choir directors will ask singers for proof of vaccination, but others may use the honor system. It will vary from parish to parish and choir to choir.”

LifeSiteNews phoned the archdiocese a number of times and contacted the archdiocese by email for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

The policy of vaccine segregation is even mirrored in the nearby Diocese of Brooklyn. 

Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio announced May 21 that restrictions would be easing as churches returned to 100 percent capacity. However, only the vaccinated will enjoy the full nature of the easing of restrictions, as those who had not been vaccinated are still told to socially distance and wear a mask. 

“Social distancing is still required for those who are not vaccinated. Unvaccinated parishioners should distance themselves from others who are not members of the same household,” the diocese announced (emphasis in original). “Masks are still mandatory in church for those who are not vaccinated. However, everyone is encouraged to wear masks while in church.”

In addition, vaccinated members of the choir can “operate as normal,” while their non-vaccinated colleagues are ordered to “maintain social distancing.”

The announcement revealed that the Brooklyn diocese will be relying on the “honesty of the faithful as to their vaccination status.”

LifeSiteNews contacted the Diocese of Brooklyn for comment on the matter, asking in what manner the distancing would unfold, and whether there would be distinct sections of the church for vaccinated and unvaccinated. However, the diocese did not respond by publication time.

It remains to be seen whether priests of the Archdiocese of New York have been ordered to receive coronavirus vaccines. It also remains to be seen what will happen in the cases of people who cannot take coronavirus vaccines due to severe allergies or other medical conditions and also cannot wear a mask due to medical conditions (for example, asthma or difficulty breathing during pregnancy).

Segregation based on vaccine status creeping into life at U.S. Catholic parishes

LifeSite has reported recently on a number of cases where parishioners were left out from the fullness of parish life due to not having had the experimental coronavirus injection. 

The large parish of St. Joseph in the Archdiocese of St. Louis was forced to walk back plans for segregating the congregation based on vaccine status, although the parish hall is reserved for use only by those who have had coronavirus injections.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Archbishop John C. Wester stated that singing in the church choirs, as well as distribution Holy Communion on the tongue, would be reserved for those who had been injected.

Such a stipulation was echoed by St. Cloud’s ordinary, Bishop Donald J. Kettler, who wrote to the diocesan clergy to “strongly encourage that only vaccinated individuals – including priests – distribute Holy Communion.” 

Dissident Jesuit-run America magazine recently wrote on the return to Mass without masks, describing numerous instances of division of the congregation according to their vaccination status. 

Among those examples was the Archdiocese of Detroit, headed by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron. Among the new liturgical restrictions Vigneron has implemented: the non-vaccinated are forced to “social distance” – stand apart from others – while vaccinated are not. Additionally, each church in the archdiocese is to have a section in which social distancing and mask-wearing will be the norm.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago has gone further than a number of his brother prelates in declaring that those who are “full vaccinated” may enter the church doors without masks, but only if they provide proof of their “vaccination status.”

Despite such dioceses, churches, and bishops heavily promoting the injections, and effectively penalizing those who do not receive them, it remains technically illegal to mandate the injections, due to their Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) status. While the media and health agencies have misreported that the vaccines in use are “approved” by the FDA, the EUA status they have been granted indicates that they are still under investigation, allowed for emergency use only, and under 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3 must only be given voluntarily and without coercion.

This principle was also reiterated in the controversial December letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), “Note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines.” While promoting the injections, despite their connection to abortion, and in the face of opposition by faithful Catholic theologians and clerics, the CDF nevertheless stated that vaccination “must be voluntary.”

Meanwhile, in the face of such strong promotion of the hastily developed injections, the number of side effects and deaths following the actual injection continues to grow. The Defender recently reported on the latest figures submitted to the U.S. government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), now accounting for the period from December 14, 2020 through May 14: “a total of 227,805 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 4,201 deaths — an increase of 144 over the previous week — and 18,528 serious injuries, up 1,338 since last week.”

Among the adverse events were “1,140 pregnant women” affected by the injection, including 351 miscarriages or premature births.

Contact information for respectful communication:

Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Archdiocese of New York
1011 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10022
+1 (212) 371-1000

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