Pope Francis will allow priests discretion to absolve women who have had
abortions if they seek forgiveness during the upcoming Holy Year
beginning Dec. 8, the Vatican announced in a statement Tuesday.
"
One
of the serious problems of our time is clearly the changed relationship
with respect to life," the pope wrote in the English-language version
of his letter, in which he described the "existential and moral ordeal"
of women who have chosen to terminate their pregnancies.
Remarking
that he has met with many women who have faced this decision, Francis
said that women "who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and
painful decision" deserve the forgiveness of God if they seek it."The
forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially
when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere
heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father," Francis wrote.
"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," the pontiff went on. "May
priests fulfil this great task by expressing words of genuine welcome
combined with a reflection that explains the gravity of the sin
committed, besides indicating a path of authentic conversion by which to
obtain the true and generous forgiveness of the Father who renews all
with his presence."
The latest message comes weeks before the pope is
set to visit the United States, where the debate over the legal status
of abortion has continued for more than 40 years since the Supreme
Court's decision inRoe v. Wade, and has intensified in recent months
with videos showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the donation
of tissues from aborted fetuses.
While he's in the U.S., Francis will stop in Washington, D.C., and New York before traveling to Philadelphia.
Republican
presidential candidate Jeb Bush weighed in on Francis' statement on
Tuesday morning, saying that he was not surprised and that "we could all
use a lot of mercy in this world."
"I hope that we also focus on
mercy for the unborn, the hundreds of thousands of babies that will
die," the former governor of Florida said in a Fox News interview. "I
think we need to have a society that protects life from the beginning to
end, and we should be a repentant society, for sure."
Title : Pope Francis To Allow Priests To Forgive Women Who Had Abortions
Description : Pope Francis will allow priests discretion to absolve women who have had abortions if they seek forgiveness during the upcoming Holy Year ...
