Posted on 09/03/2015 1:38:23 PM PDT by NYer
I think the popes statement reflects a mistaken assumption, common among those who were trained under the 1917 Code, that priests with normal faculties for Confession still cannot absolve from the sin (let alone from the crime) of abortion. I and others, however, hold that all priests with faculties can absolve from this sin
Given the enormous media attention to this, I felt the article was worth posting.
Catholic ping!
When this broke the other day, I wondered what the fuss was about. I don’t like the current Pope for many reasons. This however didn’t seem that radical. The person still must confess and receive absolution. I assumed I missed something, and this article means I pretty much had it.
Thank you. That was an informative article.
I don't have even an iota of evidence for this, but I suspect that's how it's usually handled anyway.I've simply never heard of anybody who had to go through a separate procedure to get an excommunication lifted--- and I've known several post-abortion women who are now pro-life activists and who speak publicly about their experiences.
Francis writes: "For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.'
I expect most lay people don't know there's any other possibility.
Reminds me of an old joke/statement in that when the answer to a question is obviously yes, you ask the question ‘is the Pope Catholic’. However, now I am beginning to wonder what the answer is.
I think Comrade Pope might want to consider setting up a “drive thru” Sin-Away holy water shower for sinners. At the entrance each applicant identifies their sin (abortion, queer/freak/perverted sex, abortion doctor or staff, being a Progressive, etc.) and pays a fee per sin. At station 2, the sinner reads the appropriate apology. At station 3, the sinner is subjected to a 2 minute holy water shower which will wash away the sin previously identified and paid for. Since many sinners may have committed multiple sins they may be required to perform the procedure multiple times. The Sin-Away showers are only warranted for a week.
This is a Catholic Caucus thread. Are you a Catholic?
This is a Catholic Caucus thread. Are you a Catholic?
In reference to the question covered by this thread -— the absolution of the grave sin of abortion through repentance and sacramental Confession -— the Pope is following highly traditional Catholic teaching. Pastorally, this is best practice and canonically -— as canon lawyer Ed Peters says -— he’s right on target.
“We don’ need no steenkin facts.”
I liked non-Catholic Rush Limbaugh’s comment about this the other day. He said that if this is a good thing, and involves the mercy of God, why is it only for one year?
Thank you for posting- have to read thoroughly later: a confusing issue, isn’t it?
Even Ed Peters admits: more confusion. The 1983 Canon Law is to church discipline as Vatican II is to traditional Catholic teaching. Just some more confusion.
As canon lawyer Ed Peters says here, the route to reconciliation has always been repentance and sacramental Confession: actually nothing has changed. It's just getting a big underline. Good. Good for every penitent heart.
One thing that is certain, in his confusing message, Pope Francis said, "...I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it."
The truth is, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year" means "to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year". Declaring something general like a "Jubilee Year of Mercy", is quite different from permitting a specific faculty to a specific group of people (priests) for a specific length of time.
What Mr. Limbaugh was saying, was that, ostensibly, that permission Pope Francis was "conceding" to all priests to be able to grant pardon and absolution to those post-abortive women (and men), and to lift their excommunication, was a good thing, and Mr. Limbaugh was then asking why the Pope didn't say something like "from now on", as opposed to "for the Jubilee Year". That would have underscored his point just as well, and would not have provoked such universal confusion, even among Canon lawyers.
(Teresa Tomeo has had some priests on her last few shows who I believe she said were Canon-law experts, and they had a slightly different take on this subject relating to former and current practices in the U.S., describing them as possibly differing from the situation with bishops/prists in other countries, regarding the 2-step bishop/priest process of lifting an excommunication, and granting absolution for abortions. You might want to try to find archived copies of her past couple of programs to listen to their interpretations of the Pope's confusing pronouncement.)
God's mercy, of course, does not come in one-year limited segments, and, as the Bible says over and over and over again, His mercy endureth forever. That clear, simple message from God should never be obscured by confusing clerical statements and pronouncements.
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