Pope Francis has called on Catholics worldwide to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Vatican City, September 16 (RHC)-- Pope Francis has called on Catholics worldwide to get vaccinated against COVID-19, in an apparent rebuke to a U.S. cardinal who was hospitalized with the disease after anti-vaccination comments. 

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who is in his early seventies, was hospitalized with severe COVID-19 in August and placed on a ventilator.  He survived, but now faces an intensive rehabilitation. 
Cardinal Burke previously called vaccinations “totalitarian” and repeated a conspiracy theory that COVID vaccines carry hidden microchips.  

Speaking to journalists aboard a return flight to Rome, Pope Francis rejected anti-vaccine sentiment and said getting a shot is an “act of love.”  Pope Francis said: “It is a bit strange, because humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines.  As children, we were vaccinated for measles, polio.  All the children were vaccinated, and no one protested.”