Pope Francis declares abortion a forgivable sin
Christian Segers, Assistant Editor
Photo courtesy Pixabay
The Roman Catholic Church has declared a permanent extension to its year-long abortion absolutions, following a recent decree from Pope Francis, granting priests worldwide the ability to forgive what the church still regards as one of the most heinous of sins.
The Pope’s stance on abortion forgiveness came under fire last year, when he called for a year of mercy, or a jubilee year, beginning on December 8, 2015 and ending on November 20, 2016. Priests around the country were charged with presenting an overall theme of forgiveness and compassion, stretching from an emphasis on working with the poor, to a decreasing hardline stance on whether or not one can be saved after committing, condoning or performing the practice of killing an unborn child.
Previously, the Vatican had not allowed congregational members to be involved in the aforementioned act and retain their status within the church body.
Pope Francis confirmed that, “…abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life.”
However, Pope Francis also mentioned that, “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.”
It has long been the opinion of the Catholic Church that abortion is a moral evil and is to be steered clear of in any form and in any stage in the pregnancy process. However, with a growing list of changes Pope Francis’ has brought to the Catholic faithful worldwide, the church appears to be heading in a direction of widespread “tolerance,” in a presumable effort to expand the Church’s reach.
The New York Times reports that, “Pope Francis’ decision last year, at the start of the jubilee, followed in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II, who granted priests the same right [to forgive those who took part in abortions] during the previous holy year, in 2000.”
Other notable changes made by Pope Francis include a newfound openness to those who identify as having “unnatural” sexual orientations and an additional opening of the repentance process towards divorced Catholics.
