Vatican City — Pope Francis is applying his vision of a merciful church to women who have had abortions, easing their path toward forgiveness and saying he realizes some felt they had no choice but to make “this agonizing and painful decision.”
In a letter published Tuesday by the Holy See, Francis said he was allowing all rank-and-file priests to grant absolution during the Year of Mercy he has proclaimed, which runs Dec. 8, 2015 until Nov. 20, 2016.
The Roman Catholic Church views abortion as such a grave sin that it put the matter of granting forgiveness for an abortion in the hands of a bishop, who could either hear the woman’s confession himself or delegate that to a priest who is expert in such situations.
Now, Francis is making it possible for women to bypass this formalized process in the approaching special Year of Mercy while putting the stress on “contrite” hearts.
In a statement after the pope’s letter, the Vatican made clear that “forgiveness of the sin of abortion does not condone abortion nor minimize its grave effects. The newness is clearly Pope Francis’ pastoral approach.”
Francis made clear he isn’t downplaying the gravity of abortion, which the church essentially views as equivalent to murder. But he emphasized that abortion is an intensely personal, often anguished choice for women.
“The tragedy of abortion is experienced by some with a superficial awareness, as if not realizing the extreme harm that such an act entails,” Francis wrote. “Many others, on the other hand, although experiencing this moment as a defeat, believe that they have no other option.”
Francis drew on decades of pastoral experience with faithful in his native Argentina, including as Buenos Aires archbishop.
“I have met so many women who bear in their hearts the scar of this agonizing and painful decision,” the pope wrote.
“I am well aware of the pressure that led them to this decision,” Francis said. “I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal.”
“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,” the pope said.
That is why he has decided to concede to all priests “the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it,” Francis said.
Some faithful hope the special guideline is made permanent.
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