2 Catholic bishops receive AstraZeneca jabs

MANILA, Philippines — Two bishops became the first officials of the Catholic Church to receive COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to boost people’s confidence in the vaccines available in the country, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reported.

The CBCP News, in its Facebook post, named Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo of Jaro and Bishop Victor Bendico of Baguio as the first officers to receive the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccines. Lazo received his on March 15 and Bendico on March 19.

A statement from the Archdiocese of Jaro Commission on Social Communications stated that Lazo received the COVID-19 vaccine to prepare himself “for the successive pastoral activities he will be undertaking in the Archdiocese.”

Lazo told the Church-run Radyo Veritas that the public should get vaccinated as he emphasized that the available vaccines are safe for the human body as it will help reduce getting serious health problems brought about by COVID-19.

“I would responsively recommend vaccination. You will feel positive when you have that, although (getting vaccinated) will depend on their pre-screening,” he said in English and Filipino.

CBCP president Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles and vice president Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgillo David said they are also willing to get vaccinated in public to help boost people’s confidence on the vaccines.

“If the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had themselves vaccinated and, in my estimation, it helps. If people would see me publicly vaccinated, why not?” Valles said.

Both Valles and David said they were enlightened by the presentation of molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco during the second day of CBCP’s plenary assembly last January when they discussed how the vaccine works.

At least seven Filipino Catholic Church officials were infected with COVID-19, including the former Manila Archbishop and now prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Tagle, as well as Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Manila apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, bishops David William Antonio of Ilagan and Deogracias Iñiguez of Caloocan recovered from the virus.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz and retired Caloocan Bishop Manuel Sobreviñas died of COVID-19.