White House Says It May Not Be 'Right Voice' to Convince Catholics to Take Johnson & Johnson Shot

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday that President Joe Biden's administration recognizes that they may not be the "right voice" to convince Catholic Americans to take the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

When asked about the hesitancy among Catholics to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as some believe it uses cell lines derived from aborted fetuses, Psaki said, "We are not always the best messengers here. A Democratic administration to communicate to everyone in the public about the safety, the efficacy and the importance of taking the vaccine and so we are very open to working with a range of partners and messengers, outside groups and outside organizations and conveying just that."

"[We] recognize that we are not always going to be the right voice or the right face for that message," Psaki added.

Psaki's comments come as some Catholic Americans have voiced moral concerns over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

On March 2, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement suggesting that Catholics should choose either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson shot.

"The approval of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines," the statement said.

The statement also included a December note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved by Pope Francis, which states that "it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process."

Despite the note approved by the Pope, the Conference of Catholic Bishops added in their statement that "However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna's vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson's."

In a statement sent to CNN earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson wrote, "We are proud to bring our COVID-19 vaccine to the world and to contribute to ending this pandemic. Our single-shot COVID-19 vaccine uses an inactivated non-infective adenovirus vector -- similar to a cold virus -- that codes for the coronavirus 'spike' (S) protein, and there is no fetal tissue in the vaccine."

During the press briefing, Psaki spoke about the statement approved by the Pope, saying that the Vatican is a "powerful authority for many who are close to their faith," and added that the safety and efficacy of the shot has also been "conveyed by health and medical experts."

While President Joe Biden is the second Catholic to serve in the White House, he has not publicly urged those who share his faith to take the Johnson & Johnson shot. But during his primetime address on Thursday, Biden did encourage all Americans to have confidence in the "safety and effectiveness of all three vaccines."

"So my message to you is this: Listen to Dr. Fauci, one of the most distinguished and trusted voices in the world. He's assured us the vaccines are safe. They underwent rigorous scientific review," Biden said, adding that he and Vice President Kamala Harris got the vaccines publicly to demonstrate that they are safe.

"Talk to your family, friends, your neighbors, the people you know best who've gotten the vaccine. We need everyone to get vaccinated," Biden added.