{"id":101783,"date":"2026-08-01T06:10:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T06:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=101783"},"modified":"2026-08-01T06:10:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T06:10:26","slug":"florida-attorney-general-confronts-catholic-schools-over-vaccine-mandate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/florida-attorney-general-confronts-catholic-schools-over-vaccine-mandate\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida attorney general confronts Catholic schools over vaccine mandate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent a letter to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops urging compliance with state law requiring religious exemptions for vaccine mandates.<\/p>\n<p>In a July 31 letter addressed to Michael Sheedy, the conference\u2019s executive director, Uthmeier, a Catholic, expressed concern that \u201cat least one diocese\u201d appears to have adopted a policy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.orlandodiocese.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NationalCatholicBioethicsCenter.pdf\">articulated by the<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.orlandodiocese.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NationalCatholicBioethicsCenter.pdf\">National Catholic Bioethics Center in 2011<\/a> that states Catholic institutions \u201ccannot grant an exemption from vaccination on religious grounds.\u201d Under Florida law, the attorney general pointed out, both public and private schools are required to provide religious exemptions for vaccinations.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i\/web\/status\/2083195474148737133?s=20\">Tweeter<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Citing Church teaching on respect for human life from conception to natural death, Uthmeier noted that \u201cthe Catholic Church has historically encouraged the faithful to abstain from the use of vaccines produced from aborted fetal tissue, while at the same time recognizing the moral permissibility of using such vaccines in certain circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut even if abortion-derived vaccines may be permissible to take, Church teaching also recognizes that no one should be forced to take a vaccine \u2018if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cHaving no legitimate religious reason to refuse granting religious exemptions to the taking of abortion-derived vaccines, Catholic schools in Florida should comply with Florida law.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Institute for Ethics and Common Good grants boost ethics and spirituality research on AI<\/h2>\n<p>The University of Notre Dame announced that its Institute for Ethics and the Common Good has awarded more than $800,000 in rapid-response grants for research on \u201cthe ethical and spiritual implications\u201d of AI.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe grants, provided through the institute\u2019s DELTA Partner Program and selected from a competitive pool of over 160 applicants, offer seed funding for organizations to convene strategic gatherings, provide training, and create high-impact, practical tools and resources for educators, students, policymakers, and pastoral leaders as they lead in the midst of the rapidly changing technological landscape,\u201d the university said in <a href=\"https:\/\/news.nd.edu\/news\/institute-for-ethics-and-the-common-good-awards-faith-and-ai-rapid-response-grants-2\/\">a July 29 press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Grants were distributed to 12 organizations, including Catholic tech companies, schools, and public policy nonprofits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were thrilled to see such a wide range of organizations and individuals who were interested in immersing themselves in the DELTA framework and adapting it for their own unique contexts,\u201d Meghan Sullivan, director of the Ethics Initiative, said in the release. \u201cWe know that those working to develop this new technology are moving rapidly, and so there\u2019s a real need for Christian leaders across a wide variety of fields to also work quickly to help navigate questions of what it means to lead a good human life, to serve the common good, and to build what Pope Leo calls the \u2018civilization of love\u2019 in this new context.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach of these partners brings a unique perspective to bear on the question of what it means to be human in this current moment,\u201d Adam Kronk, director of DELTA, said in the release. \u201cWe are excited to have them as part of our growing community of leaders who are looking for tools to protect the dignity of learning and form people\u2019s hearts and minds.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Franciscan University launches \u2018Be Light\u2019 faculty appreciation fellowship<\/h2>\n<p>Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, has announced a faculty fellowship program aimed at recognizing professors who have made an exceptional impact on students and the university\u2019s Catholic mission.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe highly competitive Be Light Faculty Fellows Program was established in 2026 to recognize and retain professors whose consistent exceptional performance strengthens academic programs, creates new opportunities, inspires students, and advances the university,\u201d Franciscan said <a href=\"https:\/\/franciscan.edu\/franciscan-university-names-seven-inaugural-be-light-faculty-fellows\/\">in a July 28 press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The university named seven faculty members to the fellowship, which includes \u201ca monetary award that can be utilized for research costs, course reduction, or salary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRecipients were selected following a nomination process and an extensive review of their performance in teaching, scholarship, and service over the previous three years, along with assessments of their broader institutional impact by their deans and department chairs,\u201d the university said.<\/p>\n<p>The program comes as part of the university\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/franciscan.edu\/be-light\/\">Be Light Strategic Plan<\/a> aimed at improving recruitment and retention of \u201cmission-dedicated faculty and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>John Paul the Great Catholic University announces degree in narrative arts<\/h2>\n<p>John Paul the Great Catholic University will launch a bachelor of narrative arts degree in screenwriting and fiction in fall 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe degree creates new pathways for students pursuing careers in storytelling across multiple media, while retaining the previous pathways,\u201d the <a href=\"https:\/\/jpcatholic.edu\/news_press\/bfa-in-narrative-arts-and-cee.php\">university said in a July 1 press release.<\/a> Students who apply to the program before Sept. 1 will receive a $1,000 scholarship that may be stacked with other need- and merit-based aid.<\/p>\n<p>Screenwriting students will be able to choose from a bachelor of science in communications media with an emphasis in screenwriting, a bachelor of arts in humanities with an emphasis in screenwriting, or a bachelor of narrative arts with an emphasis in screenwriting. Creative writing students will be able to choose from a bachelor of arts in humanities with an emphasis in creative writing or a bachelor of narrative arts with an emphasis in fiction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlongside the launch of the Bachelor of Narrative Arts, JPCatholic is also introducing a renewed emphasis in Catholic Education &amp; Evangelization within its Bachelor of Arts in Humanities,\u201d the release said. \u201cLed by Professor Justin Panlasigui, chair of Humanities, the revised emphasis builds upon the university\u02bcs former New Evangelization emphasis while providing students with stronger preparation for careers in Catholic education, ministry, catechesis, and evangelization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur new Catholic Education &amp; Evangelization emphasis will help students develop an important skill set for today\u02bcs intra- and extra-ecclesial landscape,\u201d Panlasigui said.<\/p>\n<h2>University of Dallas, DeSales University launch graduate partnership<\/h2>\n<p>The University of Dallas and DeSales University have announced an academic partnership to expand graduate-level business school offerings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough a Memorandum of Understanding, enrolled graduate students at each university will be able to pursue select online concentration courses offered by the partner institution while remaining matriculated at their home university,\u201d the University of Dallas said in <a href=\"https:\/\/udallas.edu\/news\/2026\/07-15-26-university-of-dallas-and-desales-university-launch-mission-aligned-graduate-business-partnership.php\">a July 15 press release.<\/a> Courses will be available online with flexible synchronous and asynchronous options, the release said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are excited to partner with DeSales University in a collaboration that expands academic opportunities for students at both institutions while preserving our shared commitment to rigorous, applied graduate business education,\u201d said J. Lee Whittington, dean of the Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas.<\/p>\n<p>Under the agreement, University of Dallas students will be able to enroll in DeSales\u2019 courses in healthcare management and operations and supply chain management, while DeSales students will have access to University of Dallas classes in accounting, finance, and financial planning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe view this partnership as more than an academic agreement \u2014 it is a strategic collaboration between two institutions committed to student success,\u201d said Chris Cocozza, dean of the Waterbury Reilly School of Business at DeSales.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/florida-attorney-general-confronts-catholic-schools-over-vaccine-mandate\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/florida-attorney-general-confronts-catholic-schools-over-vaccine-mandate<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent a letter to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops urging compliance with state law requiring religious exemptions for vaccine mandates. In a July 31 letter addressed to Michael Sheedy, the conference\u2019s executive director, Uthmeier, a Catholic, expressed concern that \u201cat least one diocese\u201d appears to have adopted a [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-101783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":68687,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-planned-parenthood\/","url_meta":{"origin":101783,"position":0},"title":"Florida announces $350 million false advertising lawsuit against Planned Parenthood","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"f\u00e9vrier 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks with EWTN News\u2019 Catherine Hadro on \u201cEWTN News Nightly\u201d on Nov. 7, 2025.\u00a0 \/ Credit: \u201cEWTN News Nightly\u201d\/Screenshot CNA Staff, Nov 8, 2025 \/ 08:00 am (CNA). Florida is suing Planned Parenthood for up to $350 million for allegedly falsely advertising abortion pills as\u2026","rel":"","context":"Dans &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Florida announces $350 million false advertising lawsuit against Planned Parenthood","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-Planned-Parenthood.png?fit=1200%2C335&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-Planned-Parenthood.png?fit=1200%2C335&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-Planned-Parenthood.png?fit=1200%2C335&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-Planned-Parenthood.png?fit=1200%2C335&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-Planned-Parenthood.png?fit=1200%2C335&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":76809,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/u-s-solicitor-general-backs-colorado-catholics-in-dispute-over-universal-preschool-program\/","url_meta":{"origin":101783,"position":1},"title":"U.S. solicitor general backs Colorado Catholics in dispute over universal preschool program","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"f\u00e9vrier 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The United States solicitor general urged the Supreme Court to stop Colorado from excluding Catholic schools from the state\u2019s universal preschool (UPK) program in a brief on Friday.The 25-page amicus brief, submitted by Solicitor General John Sauer, Principal Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris, and Assistant to the Solicitor General Emily\u2026","rel":"","context":"Dans &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38615,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/oklahoma-catholic-charter-school-loses-supreme-court-bid-for-state-approval\/","url_meta":{"origin":101783,"position":2},"title":"Oklahoma Catholic charter school loses Supreme Court bid for state approval","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"juin 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. \/ Credit: Wolfgang Schaller|Shutterstock CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 \/ 12:12 pm (CNA). The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to issue a ruling in a contentious case involving what was proposed to be the nation\u2019s first religious charter school, leaving untouched\u2026","rel":"","context":"Dans &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oklahoma Catholic charter school loses Supreme Court bid for state approval","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Oklahoma-Catholic-charter-school-loses-Supreme-Court-bid-for-state-approval.webp?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Oklahoma-Catholic-charter-school-loses-Supreme-Court-bid-for-state-approval.webp?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Oklahoma-Catholic-charter-school-loses-Supreme-Court-bid-for-state-approval.webp?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Oklahoma-Catholic-charter-school-loses-Supreme-Court-bid-for-state-approval.webp?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66202,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/washington-state-drops-effort-to-make-priests-violate-seal-of-confession-in-reporting-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":101783,"position":3},"title":"Washington state drops effort to make priests violate seal of confession in reporting law","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"octobre 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"null \/ Credit: Brian A Jackson\/Shutterstock CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 \/ 14:37 pm (CNA). Officials in Washington state have agreed to back off a controversial effort to force priests there to violate the seal of confession as part of a mandatory abuse reporting law. A motion filed in federal\u2026","rel":"","context":"Dans &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Washington state drops effort to make priests violate seal of confession in reporting law","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Washington-state-drops-effort-to-make-priests-violate-seal-of-confession-in-reporting-law.webp?fit=800%2C444&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Washington-state-drops-effort-to-make-priests-violate-seal-of-confession-in-reporting-law.webp?fit=800%2C444&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Washington-state-drops-effort-to-make-priests-violate-seal-of-confession-in-reporting-law.webp?fit=800%2C444&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Washington-state-drops-effort-to-make-priests-violate-seal-of-confession-in-reporting-law.webp?fit=800%2C444&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66008,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/cna-explains-when-can-catholic-employers-fire-employees-for-not-following-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":101783,"position":4},"title":"CNA explains: When can Catholic employers fire employees for not following the Church?","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"janvier 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"null \/ Credit: Stephen Kiers\/Shutterstock CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 \/ 06:00 am (CNA). A New Jersey teacher\u2019s dismissal from her Catholic school classroom over her role as a surrogate mother has raised the question of just when Catholic employers can dismiss workers for not adhering to the faith.\u00a0The teacher,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Dans &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"CNA explains: When can Catholic employers fire employees for not following the Church?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CNA-explains-When-can-Catholic-employers-fire-employees-for-not-following-the-Church.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CNA-explains-When-can-Catholic-employers-fire-employees-for-not-following-the-Church.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CNA-explains-When-can-Catholic-employers-fire-employees-for-not-following-the-Church.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CNA-explains-When-can-Catholic-employers-fire-employees-for-not-following-the-Church.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5552,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/oklahoma-supreme-court-rules-against-catholic-charter-school-proposal\/","url_meta":{"origin":101783,"position":5},"title":"Oklahoma Supreme Court rules against Catholic charter school proposal","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"juin 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] Source null \/ Credit: Zolnierek\/Shutterstock The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday\u00a0ruled against\u00a0the establishment of\u00a0a virtual Catholic charter school, which would have been the first of its kind in the nation.In the U.S., charter schools are free, publicly funded schools\u00a0that have\u00a0greater flexibility in their operations and management than traditional public\u2026","rel":"","context":"Dans &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1719375370_justicia-zolnierek-shutterstock-050523.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1719375370_justicia-zolnierek-shutterstock-050523.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1719375370_justicia-zolnierek-shutterstock-050523.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1719375370_justicia-zolnierek-shutterstock-050523.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","mfb_rest_fields":["title","jetpack_publicize_connections","jetpack-related-posts","jetpack_sharing_enabled","jetpack_featured_media_url"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101783"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101829,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101783\/revisions\/101829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101783"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=101783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}