Florida AG Urges Catholic Schools to Grant Religious Vaccine Exemptions
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent a letter to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops urging Catholic schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers to also grant religious exemptions for student vaccinations. Uthmeier cited Catholic doctrine and Vatican statements, arguing that…
Orlando Daytona Beach Melbourne, FL, August 2, 2026 —
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has formally requested that Catholic schools in the state, which receive taxpayer-funded vouchers, extend religious exemptions to student vaccinations.
The directive was delivered via a letter sent to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops. In the correspondence, Attorney General Uthmeier referenced Catholic doctrine and statements from the Vatican to support his position that mandatory vaccination is not a moral imperative for the faithful. He asserted that religious objections to vaccines should be accommodated.
This communication arrives as the new academic year draws near, bringing into focus a divergence of opinions between the Attorney General’s office and the Conference of Catholic Bishops concerning vaccine mandates within educational institutions that utilize public funding.
The specific details regarding the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ response or any subsequent actions by the schools were not immediately available.
Story summarized from the original created by Ana Goñi-Lessan, News Service of Florida on www.orlandoweekly.com, see more information here.
