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Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin, June 17, 2016Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Two of Pope Francis’ top officials have tested positive for COVID-19 despite both men having received three doses of the vaccines.

“Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra have both tested positive for COVID-19 Vatican sources have confirmed, with Cardinal Parolin showing symptoms. The Vatican Secretary of State and his deputy have both had two vaccine doses and the booster shot,” wrote the National Catholic Register’s Edward Pentin on Twitter yesterday, breaking the story.

Immediately following the news, Catholics took to social media to express the “irony” of the situation, particularly in light of Francis’ comments appearing to mock Cardinal Raymond Burke when he contracted the virus, and the Vatican’s heavy-handed measure of firing those within the city state who refuse to get injected.

“Now is the Pope going to speak about them in a plane, saying there’s a pair of prelates who ‘ironically’ are sick, even though they got their shots, just like he rudely did with Cdl. Burke?” asked one user.

“Well at least they fired those unvaccinated Swiss guards,” chimed in another user.

In September, Pope Francis went on a rant about those opposed to taking the experimental, abortion-tainted shots, saying, “Even in the College of Cardinals there are some deniers, and one of these, poor guy, is hospitalized with the virus.” This was an apparent reference to then-hospitalized Cardinal Burke.

Burke had been outspoken about the immorality of the shots, which, in line with authentic Catholic teaching, insists that the faithful must avoid abortion-linked medication whenever possible. Many perceived Francis’ comment as a way of maligning and mocking the cardinal, using his illness as a way to humiliate him for taking the opposite stance of the Pope.

Late last year, the Vatican fired and expelled Swiss Guards who refused to take the abortion-linked shots out of moral concern. The termination of the Swiss Guards in direct violation of their authentically-held Catholic beliefs, was carried out by the Vatican for the so-called safety of the city state.

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