Pope Francis has marked the end of the Jubilee of Mercy or Year of Mercy by announcing that all catholic priests, rather than just bishops, have the ability to forgive “the sin of abortions.” The purpose of doing so is to reduce shame, encourage forgiveness and urge women to rejoin the church.
Even though the Pope acknowledges abortion as “a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life,” he insists that “there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”
Pope Francis’s letter is as follows:
“I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life,” the Pope’s letter states.
In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”
May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation.
I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion.”
Roommates, do you all have a stand on abortion? What do you think of the Pope’s decision?
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Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2016/11/21/europe/pope-francis-absolve-abortion/index.html
