Press
Release
The Evangelical Catholic Church
11045 South Avenue G
Chicago Illinois 60617
October 18, 2021
Chicago Illinois
For Immediate ReleasePresiding Bishop's response to Covid Vaccine Guidelines published by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the United States Military Vicariate.
Bishop James Alan Wilkowski. Presiding Bishop for the Evangelical Catholic Church has issued the following statement in response to the recent Covid Vaccine Guidelines published by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the United States Military Vicariate.
In 1996 I formally transfers my sacramental and spiritual affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church to the Evangelical Catholic Church and entered into Holy Order in May of that year. The execution of this decision was done in a manner keeping with the Codes of Canon Law for the RCC and the policies and directives of my new community of faith. I have done my best to avoid looking back to the past and to focus my energies on the future.
I also promised not to engage in any entanglements with my former community of faith.
During these months of this pandemic, I, along with many other bishops of the Autocephalous Catholic Movement, have been unconditionally proactive in first praying for a vaccine to combat this virus and now advocating universal vaccination for ALL persons.
I believe that all members of the ecumenical clerical community must be steadfast in our collective mission to protect every member of the Kingdom of God on Earth. To do otherwise is to give consent to suicide by ignorance.
Therefore in obedience and trust of my conscious, I am obligated to respond to Archbishop Broglio's comments of 12 October (https://files.milarch.org/archbishop/abp-statement-on-covid19-vaccines-and-conscience-12oct2021.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1EfGFIe-ZsPlRQfjiOX8t7ms6q7ZnLHVknr6q2ByjIP2DYEMTCz0ZAIno) of this year.
I respectfully believe that the Archbishop's letter of 12 October was an exercise in pandering to both sides of the vaccination issue. The Archbishop's message makes as much sense as a Firefighter rescuing half on those trapped inside of a burning building and giving permission to the other half to burn to death in the fire.
I believe that the pastoral decision of the Archbishop failed to remember and recalled the miracles which Jesus performed during His ministry when he was amongst us. These miracles included acts of healing those who were sick, dying or impaired and the restoration of life to those who had died.
I am further disappointed that the Archbishop would attempt to undermine the health and safety of our men and women in uniform. Does not the Archbishop realize the jeopardy he is placing our military in? We citizens of this country owe our military respect and our defense of them and their needs. Fostering dissent within the ranks of our military is beyond any degree of comprehension.
I believe that if we in ministry are going to offer authentic witness based on faith, then we are all obligated during this pandemic to save and protect the gift of life and not look for political loopholes out of fear of teaching what is morally right and good.
Instead to wetting his finger and holding it up to check the direction of the political and social wind, the Archbishop needs to raise his Crosier and join the crusade for healing and saving lives.
I call upon Archbishop Broglio to recant his statement of 12 October 2021 and I continue to call upon all citizens who have yet to be vaccinated to do so.
I look forward to receiving my booster shot in December. I hope that my example will encourage others to do the same.
Most Reverend James Alan Wilkowski
on behalf of
The Evangelical Catholic Church in America
For additional information, please contact Bill Morton, Director for Communication at 773-721-5383 or email him at media@diocesenw.
© 2021
†
