Maine’s Episcopal Diocese Requires Vaccinations of Clergy, Staff

The Bishop of Maine's Episcopal Diocese announced this week that all members of its clergy and staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Several Maine businesses have made the vaccine a priority among their employees. The most well-known example is the mandate from Governor Janet Mills, requiring all healthcare workers to be vaccinated, a decision that has become the subject of controversy.

Now, the Episcopal Diocese of Maine has decided to follow a similar path, making COVID vaccinations mandatory for anyone working under their umbrella. Right Reverand Thomas J. Brown, Bishop of Maine said in a press release that it's the right thing to do.

The Church's role in public discourse is to remind us of what it means to do as Jesus teaches: to love our neighbors as much as ourselves. In this case, it means prioritizing the common good and our community's health.

Bishop Brown goes on to talk about the Baptismal promises to 'respect the dignity of every human being.' He says this is one way to fulfill those promises and watch out for the safety of all. He says it's also important that members of clergy and staff encourage their parishioners to do the same, calling the vaccinations 'the best tool we have to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.' He says the church is not trying to come down hard on its members, but that it's doing what's right, as many other businesses and organizations have also done.