Roman Catholic Archdiocese of REGINA
OFFICE OF THE ARCHBISHOP
445 Broad Street N., Regina, SK, CANADA S4R 2X8
Tel: (306) 352-1651 Fax: (306) 352-6313 E-mail: chancery @archregina.sk.ca

Letter from the Bishops of Saskatchewan
To Catholic School Boards and Catholic Parents
Concerning the Proposed Publicly Funded HPV Vaccination Program
October 5, 2017
Dear Catholic school boards and Catholic parents in Saskatchewan,
We, the bishops of Saskatchewan, sincerely regret the confusion we caused in our letter of Sept. 25, 2017, on the
government funded school-based offering of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. Over the past days we
have welcomed and appreciated conversations with health professionals, representatives of health organizations,
and concerned parents, and would now offer the following as a means of clarification:
1. In making decisions regarding vaccinations, we again invite the faithful to two underlying considerations:
a) that parents (in the case of minors) and individual adults are responsible to make informed decisions according
to their own conscience, formed by scientific findings and by their faith;
b) that decisions regarding vaccinations are not only personal, but also a matter of public health and the
common good.
2. In conversations with health professionals, we have been introduced to numerous studies which document the
effectiveness of the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer, but also against other forms of cancer, including throat
cancer, which has been on the rise in recent years. We understand that the vaccine is generally considered to be
safe, and is widely regarded today as an effective cancer prevention strategy for boys and girls alike. Links to
these studies are provided below.
3. The HPV vaccine is not a cure-all against everything. As church leaders, we stress that chastity is and will
always be a virtue worth proposing and modelling to our young people. It is a way of life that brings value and
joy. At the same time, we live in a world where non-consensual or regrettable sexual encounters occur. We were
encouraged by research suggesting that the HPV vaccines are not increasing risky sexual behavior
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26864126)
As ever, we are grateful for the unconditional love that is modeled by parents for their children, and with you,
strive to support the best decisions for our young people’s faith, health and education.
Yours in Christ,
________________________
Most Rev. Donald Bolen
Archbishop of Regina
________________________
Very Rev. Fr. Kevin McGee
Saskatoon Diocesan Administrator

________________________
Most Rev. Albert Thevenot
Bishop of Prince Albert

__________________________
Most Rev. Murray Chatlain
Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas

_________________________________
Most Rev. Bryan Bayda
Ukrainian Eparchial Bishop of Saskatoon

 The following are among the articles referred to us by medical professionals:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunizationguide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-9-human-papillomavirus-vaccine.html
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-vaccine-fact-sheet
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/02/19/peds.2015-1968
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/updatedrecommendations-human-papillomavirus-immunization-schedule-immunocompromisedpopulations.html#a6
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/32/E1030