Posted on 05/07/2015 7:08:16 AM PDT by Gamecock
Pope Francis has said that Roman Catholic priests can begin pardoning women who've had abortions and doctors who have performed the procedure starting in 2016, changing long-standing Catholic practice. The Vatican insisted, however, that it continues to look at abortion as a sin.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, announced Francis' decision earlier this week, and said: "The missionaries of mercy are priests sent out by the Holy Father at the beginning of Lent. The Pope is sending them out [to dioceses and parishes] as a tangible sign of how a priest should be a man of pardon, close to everyone ..."
The Irish Times pointed out that Catholic tradition only allows bishops or the pope himself to absolve women of having an abortion, which is a sin that leads to excommunication from the Church.
The Catholic "Holy Year of Mercy" runs from Dec. 8 through Nov. 20, 2016, and will allow specially appointed priests "the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See."
The special year will also mark several individual jubilee days, such as for the Roman Curia, catechists, teenagers and prisoners.
Archbishop Fisichella clarified in an interview with Italian news agency ANSA that priests will also be able to offer absolution not only to women who've had abortions, but also to the doctors that performed them.
The Daily Mail reported that the Vatican has previously faced criticism from the United Nations for excommunicating the mother and doctor of a 9-year-old girl in Brazil who underwent an abortion in 2009 after she was raped by her stepfather and became pregnant with twins.
Italian Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, who has published a book alongside four other cardinals called Remaining In The Truth Of Christ, which defends marriage and Catholic tradition, insisted that the Catholic stance against abortion will not waver, however.
De Paolis said: "Regardless of this decision by the Pope, the Church will continue to consider abortion a sin. I hope it does not cause confusion."
Francis has affirmed on a number of occasions his opposition to abortion, a well as to euthanasia, stem-cell research, and other attempts to end life.
Back in November 2014, the pontiff dismissed the notion that abortion is good for women, or that euthanasia is "an act of dignity," or "a scientific breakthrough to 'produce' a child (who is) considered a right instead of accepted as a gift." Francis also denounced "(the) use of human life as laboratory mice supposedly to save others."
The Vatican has set up an official Jubilee of Mercy website which talks more about the tradition and the planned events.
"I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its centre the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the Word of the Lord: 'Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful' (Luke 6:36). And this especially applies to confessors! So much mercy!" Francis said when announcing the Holy Year.
Full title: Pope Francis Allows Priests to Begin Pardoning Women and Doctors Who’ve Performed Abortions, Changing Catholic Practice
Am I to understand there was essentially no forgiveness for women who had abortions?
In before the bash Francis thread.
Only Jesus can forgive sins (based on His atoning death on the cross).
I hear they're also going to be handing out "Buy One Get One Free" coupons for indulgences!
All this time, I have been asking God for pardon.
That men can now do what was once only the purview of God reflects what a modern new world we live in.
I am Catholic as well and was completely unaware of this also...It seems that priests should have the authority to absolve all sins heard in a confessional... but what do I know
In before the in-beforers.
Are we sure Pope Francis isn’t a Democrat? All our institutions are being taken over and destroyed by the left. His Holiness is a leftist. As a Catholic that pains me, but he’s doing everything he can to change church doctrines. I wonder if he gets DNC talking point memos every morning.
If a priest could offer "absolution" to one who "hated his brother", which could be akin to murder, why not for a woman who has made this decision in her life?
Aside from the real life impact, is there a difference, from God's perspective, in the actual murder or the intent to murder?
Jesus said if you lust after a woman in your heart, you've committed adultery. Does not the same thought process apply in this situation?
This guy is a disaster.
Priests do not “pardon” anyone, they just advise those who seek contrition as to how best to achieve forgiveness all around.
This being said, I am reminded of a story from perhaps 30 years ago in Boston. Some ignorant Catholic girls decided to use abortion as birth control, on the bad logic that abortion was just “a” sin, but that every birth control pill they took was “a” sin as well; so one sin was ‘better’ than many sins.
Just about every serious Catholic was horrified with this idea, but it and a multitude of other very bad ideas were acceptable to the “cultural Catholics” who had no real faith.
Since abortion is the deliberate murder of an innocent life, it is a 'reserved sin', one so grave that the local bishop must absolve it. Usually the bishop grants the regular parish priest the ability to absolve this sin. What the Pope has done is to give that power to regular priests without having to go to the bishop first.
All sins which are confessed and for which there is true contrition and firm purpose of amendment are forgiven by Our Merciful Savior.
There is actually a Catholic organization called Rachel’s Vineyard which offers ministry and reconciliation/healing to women who have had abortions.
If the Pope has to show up at every individual chapter he is going to rack up an awful lot of frequent flyer miles.
Non-Catholics may be confused and maybe so am I but I think that it has been doctrine that some one obtaining an abortion and someone performing it was, if Catholic, automatically excommunicated which means it required the bishop to fix it. Now the parish priest or any priest can give absolution. It is still a mortal (serious) sin and the penance may be substantial but the absolution removes the sin (but not the consequences).
Please see post #15.
There is forgiveness, a woman just needs to find the nearest confessional.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/cw/post.php?id=66
This isn’t making sense to me. Will check other sources.
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