ROME (AP) — The Vatican is taking Pope Francis’ pro-vaccine stance very seriously. A Feb. 8 decree signed by the governor of the Vatican city-state says that employees who refuse to get a shot against the coronavirus without a valid medical excuse could be subject to sanctions up to and including being fired. The decree sparked heated debate Thursday, since its provisions go well beyond the generally voluntary nature of COVID-19 vaccinations in Italy and much of the rest of the world. The Vatican is an absolute monarchy in the heart of Rome. Some Catholics and other believers have expressed concerns about vaccines because some are indirectly connected to research that used aborted fetal cells.
