There Is A Cardinal Against Vaccines And Infected With Corona Virus, Pope Francis: This Is The Irony Of Life

Pope Francis. (Wikimedia Commons/Jeffrey Bruno)

JAKARTA - Pope Francis said he was confused as to why so many people, including several cardinals in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, refused to be injected with a COVID-19 vaccine.

"It's a bit strange because humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines", he said aboard the plane returning from a visit to Slovakia, responding to a question from a reporter about the reasons for vaccine doubt, cited from Reuters, Thursday, September 16.

"As children (we were vaccinated) for measles, polio. All children were vaccinated and no one said anything", Pope Francis continued.

Pope Francis, who has already received the COVID-19 vaccine, has often urged others to be injected for the common good. On the plane, he said maybe some people were scared at first because there are various vaccines available.

"Even in the College of Cardinals, there are some opponents of vaccines. But, one of them, unfortunate, has been hospitalized with a virus. This is the irony of life", Pope Francis said without naming any cardinals.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a conservative and vaccine skeptic, was hospitalized in the United States last month after contracting the coronavirus.

Some conservative anti-vaccine bishops, particularly in the United States, say Catholics should have the possibility to claim conscientious objections to vaccines on religious grounds.

But the Pope has made it clear in the past that he disagrees, never mentioning the option.

Last month, he issued a call on behalf of the US nonprofit group and the public health coalition COVID Collaborative, saying vaccines should be taken by everyone.