Pope Francis to allow priests to forgive abortion

[forest444]

Buenos Aires Herald

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

In a letter published by the Vatican today, Francis described the "existential and moral ordeal" faced by women who have terminated pregnancies and said he had "met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision".

In church teaching, abortion is such a grave sin that those who procure or perform it incur an automatic excommunication. It can usually only be formally forgiven by the chief confessor of a diocese -- known by the Italian term penitenziere -- or a Christian missionary, Vatican spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said.

At: http://buenosairesherald.com/article/197737/francis-to-allow-priests-to-forgive-abortion-
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But will some of his more recalcitrant flock listen?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110842561

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110841454

[niyad]

1. isn't that sweet--the church "forgiving" something that isn't its business in the first place.

can somebody point me to the biblical passages against abortion? and can somebody point out to me where the church agrees to take care of the children that its rules force women to have?

[forest444]

2. +1!

From them, all anyone can expect are baby steps - and they're certainly miles from becoming the constructive, humanist institution they were meant to be.

Still, every time Francis makes these announcements you can just hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth among much of the curia (especially in his native Latin America) and of course the Opus Dei - and that's certainly a nice sound to hear. I'd keep a close eye on my tea if were this Pope.

[niyad]

3. he has lasted a lot longer than john paul 1.

[forest444]

4. Yes, thank goodness - and it's probably because Francis knows not to touch that holy of holies,

the Vatican Bank.

[niyad]

5. so very true.