Some Australian Catholic leaders need to slow down, have a think and re-consider the information they continue to pedal about COVID-19 vaccination.
The Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform has expressed deep concern about the confusing messages being sent to faithful followers.
And rightly so.
This is a pandemic and Australia is only months away from opening up borders with inoculation a vital part of protecting Australians when that time comes.
However, Tasmania's own Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous' has publicly backed priests' rights to conscientiously object to vaccination and Sydney's Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher questioned the NSW government's decision to show proof of vaccination before churchgoers can enter, on the basis that worship is "an essential service, not mere recreation".
Are these people living in the same turned upside down universe?
The Tasmanian government blatantly and rightly denied a request that conservative Catholic doctors, nurses and other health workers be exempt from a mandatory order for vaccination from October 31.
And Concerned Catholics Tasmania chair Kim Chen has called for conservatives to stop with the irresponsible and inconsistent messaging, which does more harm to the community than good.
The notion that "we're all in this together" appears to have been brushed aside by some "autocratic and clericalist leaders" within one of the country's most influential organisations.
But thankfully it hasn't been lost on Pope Francis who has called getting a vaccination "an act of love" and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference who say it is "morally permissible" to get jabbed with any vaccine.
This isn't a time to be narrow-minded, play politics, take moral high grounds or be ignorant of science, there is already enough misinformation being spread by the ill-informed.
Leaders must lead and the Catholic hierarchy is not exempt.
It's not too late to wake up.
