Pope to allow all priests to forgive abortion during Holy Year

Reuters via Yahoo News ^ | 1 Sept, 2015 | Isla Binnie

[Graybeard58]

Pope Francis will give all priests discretion during the Roman Catholic Church's upcoming Holy Year to formally forgive women who have had abortions, in the Argentine pontiff's latest move towards a more open and inclusive church.

In Church teaching, abortion is such a grave sin that those who procure or perform it incur an automatic excommunication. Usually only designated clergy and missionaries can formally forgive abortions.

But from Dec.8 to Nov. 26, during an extraordinary Holy Year or "Jubilee" on the theme of mercy announced by Pope Francis in March, all priests will be able to do so, he said in a letter published on Tuesday by the Vatican.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I was responding to this comment of yours:

"You shoplifted a candy bar your penance is to say three Our Fathers. You killed your baby say three Our Fathers."

This comment was about penances, and you seem to be saying that, in the Confessional, all sins correlate to trivial penances and consequences ("the Our Fathers.")

It's not so, and --- if you meant it as stated --- it conveys a remarkable level of misinformation.

[tioga]

I find the attacks on Catholics appalling. I thought you declared an end to this?

[Patriotic1]

Actually, they need a dispensation from their bishop to be able to do this. In the US, many have this. But in other parts of the world, this isn’t the case.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I think the Holy See's diplomatic endorsement of the Sustainable Development goals is wrong-headed in the extreme.

I am glad to see that, according to he Vatican's UN rep Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, the Church "cannot support the inclusion in the SDGs of “reproductive health” when it means access to abortion."

Bu I am sorry to say that that level of awareness seems absent from other highly-placed prelates, such as Archbishop Bernardito Auza, who stated that the SDG's were to be accepted "verbatim." "Verbatim" was his word.

This is a horribly bad sign.

[Svartalfiar]

Only God can forgive sins .

Forgiveness? Under whose authority? He has no more authority to forgive sins than do I.

Really? I remember something about someone saying something to the tune of: Whose sins you forgive, are forgiven, those you retain, are retained. Can either of you enlighten me?

[Patriotic1]

I doubt you will read this link, but maybe someone will. It talks about the actual Greek in the NT:

http://blog.adw.org/2015/08/greek-to-you-dont-dismiss-it-the-importance-of-recourse-to-the-greek-text-of-the-new-testament/

Here's an excerpt:

Note that the verbs related to heaven’s binding and loosing are dedemenon and lelumenon. They are perfect (passive) participles in the middle voice. As such, they indicate something that has already been done in Heaven before Peter does it on Earth.

Hence a literal, though awkward, English rendering would be “Whatever you might bind on the earth, having (already) been bound in heaven, and whatever you might loose on the earth, having (already) been loosed in heaven.”

But this is just not the way we talk in English. And thus most English renderings go something like this: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” And, while smoother, it loses the inspirational emphasis that the Greek text conveys.

The Greek text makes clear that if Peter binds or looses something on Earth, it is because Heaven has inspired this act; in no way is Heaven engaged in a “rearguard action.” Rather, Peter is inspired to carry out what has already been done in Heaven. Heaven is not forced to comply with Peter’s decision. Rather, Heaven binds or looses, and then inspires Peter and his successors to do likewise. The Greek conveys this important subtlety; the English does not.

[Patriotic1]

We look at it differently, obviously. If I steal $20 from you, and say I’m sorry, you can certainly forgive me. You’d probably want the $ back. Of course, we can’t repay God anything because everything is His. However, we can make a gesture. Prayer, being of free will, is probably the best gesture we can make.

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, I’ve just learned this. I foolishly thought any priest could give absolution. Thank you for your info.

[Patriotic1]

Luther was right. But this isn’t an indulgence. We still have indulgences, but they have nothing to do with forgiving sins, but rather Purgatory.

[pleasenotcalifornia]

Sorry it came across that way. I was being sarcastic. I did not intend to trivialize Reconciliation.

[Patriotic1]

PBear is right. This way bishops who haven't given permission to the priest for absolution before, don't need to for this year. Nearly all priests in our country have this, but not the whole world.

If a sin is not forgiven, it remains on one's soul. For a Catholic, to die with a mortal sin means that you will go to hell. I highly doubt that any sins are not forgiven. Just by the fact of going to confession, a Catholic indicates that they wish to repent. Why? Because the Sacrament of Reconciliation has fallen out of popular favor. If a Catholic doesn't even go to Mass every Sunday, it's unlikely that they go to Confession. Shame on us.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you.

[Patriotic1]

I've seen another poster give the statement that you must turn yourself in to receive absolution for murder. I don't recall seeing that anywhere. In fact, a Catholic Answers quick question disputes that. While they are not the final authority, they are quite orthodox and I tend to trust them.

http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/can-absolution-be-withheld-from-a-murderer-until-he-agrees-to-give-himself-up-to-auth

[Patriotic1]

Here's a link to a blog which has a canon lawyer discussing this. Keep in mind, in the US, most of our priests have been able to do this (already have permission from the bishop).

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2015/09/ed-peters-on-the-sin-of-abortion-the-crime-of-abortion-and-excommunication/

[Patriotic1]

Please see my post 133 with regard to murderers and absolution.

[Graybeard58]

I find the attacks on Catholics appalling. I thought you declared an end to this?

*********************************************************************

Oh you poor little thing. Who attacked catholics?

[Lera]

“Really? I remember something about someone saying something to the tune of: Whose sins you forgive, are forgiven, those you retain, are retained. Can either of you enlighten me? “

Christians confess their sins to God daily .

When another Christians sins against you ....

If someone sins against you, http://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_552.cfm

Matthew 18:15-17

[MHGinTN]

I’ve had money and property stolen from me. In one the person was in real need, so when they were caught I helped them further because they needed it, and I did not press charges, either. But using human level transgression is falling far short of the reality that is the Righteous God. We cannot achieve ANY righteousness without His Spirit. He came to Calvary so what we absolutely could not do could be counted for us by believing in Him and His Grace toward us.

[miss marmelstein]

From what I remember, you receive absolution first and then are instructed to turn yourself into the authorities. That, of course, would be true remorse and repentance. But I’m no expert in canon law. I only know what I was taught in Catholic school by nuns who were no experts in canon law.