“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”(Matthew 19:14)

With the recent passage of the ESA program (Education Savings Accounts), also known as the school choice bill, the State of Texas made a significant step forward in empowering parents by providing more educational options for their children. However, there remains a critical issue that requires attention from the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB): to allow parents freedom of conscience by accepting all exemptions -- medical, religious, and conscience-- regarding vaccines for their children in order to attend Catholic schools. 

On April 11, 2025 the TCCB posted a statement regarding their current policy on vaccines stating their refusal to accept Exemptions of Conscience in order to attend Texas Catholic Schools. This response was an answer to objections raised by parents based on vaccines and their known association with elective abortions. However, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, of which include fellow Texas bishops, addresses the abortion topic as well as the freedom of conscience topic in the published vaccine exemption template letter on their website which states, “A Catholic may judge it wrong to receive certain vaccines for a variety of reasons consistent with these teachings, and there is no authoritative Church teaching universally obliging Catholics to receive any vaccine. An individual Catholic may invoke Church teaching to refuse a vaccine developed or produced using abortion-derived cell lines. At the core of the Church’s teaching are the first and last points listed above: vaccination is not a universal obligation and a person must obey the judgment of his or her own informed and certain conscience. 
In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs that following one’s conscience is following Christ Himself: In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law: “Conscience is a law of the mind; yet [Christians] would not grant that it is nothing more; . . . [Conscience] is a messenger of him, who, both in nature and in grace, speaks to us behind a veil, and teaches and rules us by his representatives. Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of Christ.”
Therefore, if a Catholic comes to an informed and sure judgment in conscience that he or she should not receive a vaccine, then the Catholic Church requires that the person follow this certain judgment of conscience and refuse the vaccine. The Catechism is clear: “Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. ‘He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.’”

Our children have a right to Catholic education. Canon law 793 states, “Parents and those who take their place are bound by the obligation and possess the right of educating their offspring. Catholic parents also have the duty and right of choosing those means and institutions through which they can provide more suitably for the Catholic education of their children, according to local circumstances.” 

Canon law 794 states, “The duty and right of educating belongs in a special way to the Church, to which has been divinely entrusted the mission of assisting persons so that they are able to reach the fullness of the Christian life.” 

The TCCB & Education department within it, has the moral obligation to minimize and remove barriers that could prevent our children from receiving a full Catholic education. Instead, the vaccination policy is erecting barriers.  Catholics are not required to be vaccinated in order to attend Sunday or daily Mass, Parish religious education or faith formation classes or any other church sponsored event, nursery or retreat. Why is the TCCB forcing only children who attend Catholic schools to meet this stringent regulation?

This petition requests that the TCCB accept all vaccination exemptions-- religious, medical and conscience -- to attend Texas Catholic schools, which is consistent with the National Catholic Bioethics Center vaccine exemption letter. Public, charter and many private (non-Catholic) schools accept all exemptions and allow parents freedom of conscience in regard to their children's health.  

Parents understand the unique medical and health needs of their children better than anyone. Advocating for policies that respect freedom of conscience upholds the dignity and rights of families as primary decision-makers for their children. 

Scripture states in Matthew 19:14, "but Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"  What better way to bring even more children to Jesus than through our Catholic schools?  Given that the cost barrier has been addressed with the ESA bill, now is the time to break the final barrier and allow the freedom of conscience exemption. We urge the TCCB and the education department to allow vaccination exemptions-- medical, religious, and conscience-- ensuring that Catholic schools are accessible to all.  Every child must have the opportunity to attend Catholic Schools.

Sign this petition to request the TCCB to allow all exemptions -- medical, religious and conscience -- in Texas Catholic Schools. As parents, you can support vaccines for your children and still sign this petition. This petition is advocating to give all parents the freedom to decide when and what vaccines they want to give their children.

Below are the names of each Bishop and their respective diocese along with Dr. Lisette Allen, Director of Education at TCCB and I urge you to click their name and email/contact them explaining that you are aligned with this petition. 

TCCB Director of Education & Accreditation
Dr. Lisette Allen 

Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
Archbishop Joe S. Vasquez 

Bishop of Amarillo
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek

Bishop of Beaumont
Bishop David L. Toups

Bishop of Corpus Christi
Bishop William Michael Mulvey

Bishop of El Paso
Bishop Mark J. Seitz

Bishop of Laredo
Bishop James Tamayo

Bishop of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter
Bishop Steven Lopes

Bishop of Tyler
Bishop Gregory Kelly

Archbishop of San Antonio
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S.

Diocesan Administrator of Austin
Very Rev. James A. Misko

Bishop of Brownsville
Bishop Daniel E. Flores

Bishop of Dallas
Bishop Edward J. Burns

Bishop of Fort Worth
Bishop Michael F. Olson

Bishop of Lubbock
Bishop Robert M. Coerver

Bishop of San Angelo
Bishop Michael J. Sis

Bishop of Victoria
Bishop Brendan Cahill

Please pray for all the bishops and all those involved with this petition.