Abortion = Automatic Excommunication?

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Karoline

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I understand that abortion is a mortal sin and is considered so serious that any Catholic found to have procured a succesful abortion and even doctors who perform abortions are automatically excommunicated from the Church.
My question is, I come from a Christian background where abortion, if it is considered necessary for the woman, is ‘acceptable’ in certain circumstances. I found myself to be pregnant and after a lengthy amount of prayers and discussion within the Church it was deemed acceptable that I obtained an abortion.
Does this mean that I am now uneligible to start RCIA classes and join the Catholic Church?
 
No, if you accept that this abortion was a grave sin and you feel true remorse for it then you are completely eligible. We are all sinners, so welcome to the table 😃
 
You can join the Catholic Church. Do not worry.

There are three things to keep in mind:
  1. You may not be in mortal sin. Mortal sin has 3 components - grave matter, knowledge that it’s a gave matter, and full consent to the activity.
If you were instructed in a way not consistent with church teaching, you didn’t know any better and/or you were “forced” to get one then you may not have committed a mortal sin and have been ex-communicated. You may want to talk with a trusted priest about this, so that you can be absolved, if necessary, depending on your standing within the church.
  1. Any sin, no matter how bad it is, can be forgiven.
  2. Abortion has become legal and so common place in the US that bishops have delegated the lifting of any ex-communication due to abortion to priests.
 
ComputerGeek25 said:
You can join the Catholic Church. Do not worry.

There are three things to keep in mind:
  1. You may not be in mortal sin. Mortal sin has 3 components - grave matter, knowledge that it’s a gave matter, and full consent to the activity.
If you were instructed in a way not consistent with church teaching, you didn’t know any better and/or you were “forced” to get one then you may not have committed a mortal sin and have been ex-communicated. You may want to talk with a trusted priest about this, so that you can be absolved, if necessary, depending on your standing within the church.
  1. Any sin, no matter how bad it is, can be forgiven.
  2. Abortion has become legal and so common place in the US that bishops have delegated the lifting of any ex-communication due to abortion to priests.
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I was, I realise, instructed in a way that is not consistent with Catholic Church teaching and I did not know that it was a mortal sin. I am going to Church for the first time on Sunday so I shall get to know the priest a bit better and then discuss this further with him.

Thank you all, you have set my mind at ease a little.
 
Karoline said:
I understand that abortion is a mortal sin and is considered so serious that any Catholic found to have procured a succesful abortion and even doctors who perform abortions are automatically excommunicated from the Church.
My question is, I come from a Christian background where abortion, if it is considered necessary for the woman, is ‘acceptable’ in certain circumstances. I found myself to be pregnant and after a lengthy amount of prayers and discussion within the Church it was deemed acceptable that I obtained an abortion.
Does this mean that I am now uneligible to start RCIA classes and join the Catholic Church?
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Excommunication is a canonical penalty imposed on Catholics in order to help them see the gravity of their offense and seek reconciliation with the Church and pardon for their sins. Non-Catholics cannot be excommunicated.

Committing an act that would result in excommunication if one *were *Catholic does not bar a person from *becoming *a Catholic in the future. Remember, excommunication is NOT the expulsion of the person from the Catholic faith. It is a penalty that bars them from the Sacraments (and from certain other things like participation in the liturgy, holding offices in the Church, etc) until such time as they repent of their errors. It’s not a “forever” penalty unless the person refuses to repent.

So, if you are seeking full communion with the Church, your prior abortion is not going to impact that. If you are not baptized, your sins will be washed away and forgiven at baptism. If you were baptized in another Christian denomination, then you will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as you prepare to be fully received into the Church.

And, I would encourage you to look at abortion healing ministries if you have not done so. Even though you were influenced at the time by your own religious affiliation, healing through Rachel’s Vineyard, Project Rachel, or another group could benefit your greatly.
 
Welcome and i agree with the other posters just wanted to add.
St.Paul the great Apostle used to kill people before his connversion and he is greatly revered.He knew no better,you knew no better.At the time you were not fully “aware”
1ke is quite right in that your baptism will wash your sins away.You are welcome my dear sister in Christ.
God Bless
 
1ke said:
Excommunication is a canonical penalty imposed on Catholics in order to help them see the gravity of their offense and seek reconciliation with the Church and pardon for their sins. Non-Catholics cannot be excommunicated.

Committing an act that would result in excommunication if one *were *Catholic does not bar a person from *becoming *a Catholic in the future.
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And just to add on to that:

The “automatic excommunication” occurs if the person is 16 or older, not being coerced or forced and is aware of the law making this subject to excommunication.

To the OP, as a non-Catholic, these wouldn’t have applied to you.
 
Thank you for explaining that to me 1ke, it makes a lot more sense to me now than it did before. I was Christened, but I don’t think that is the same as being Baptised? So I think I shall be being Baptised. I shall have a look into Rachel’s Vineyard, thank you.

tbcrawford and Corki, thanks a lot 🙂
 
Karoline said:
Thank you for explaining that to me 1ke, it makes a lot more sense to me now than it did before. I was Christened, but I don’t think that is the same as being Baptised? So I think I shall be being Baptised. I shall have a look into Rachel’s Vineyard, thank you.

tbcrawford and Corki, thanks a lot 🙂
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I suppose you’ll have to do a bit more research into what your particular denomination means by “christening.” For some-- for example Anglican/Church of England/Episcopal that term is used but it means baptism. The term “christening” comes from the fact that the baptism includes anointing with chrism oil.

Some denominations-- like evangelical, “non denominational” and other groups that don’t believe in baptizing babies have what are called “dedications” but they are **not **baptisms.

Being that you are in England… I’m thinking yours was probably a baptism. You can contact the church where you were christened and ask for the records.
 
only a Catholic can suffer the punishment of excommunication, because non-Catholic is not fully in communion with the Church in the first place. Direct abortion is always objectively sinful, but an individual who did have it on the basis of professional advice she trusted may or may not be personally culpable or guilty. Sin requires grave matter, knowledge of the gravity of the act and its consequences, and full free consent of the will. If the Catholic was a minor she would not be excommunicated, nor if she was never taught the gravity of the act or acted on the basis of incorrect pastoral advice, would she be necessarily guilty.

For anyone who has this or anything else in the past, and wishes to become Catholic, they will be prepared for sacramental confession shortly before they come into the Church, and will relate this as well as all other grave sins from their past life to the priest, receive absolution, and do penance. For an unbaptized person, all sins are removed through baptism. Hopefully the teaching the candidate receives while preparing to come into the Church will explain the nature of moral law, sin, the need for sacramental confession, and how such moral decisions are made.

Welcome home, yes Christ extends his mercy to all through the sacraments which are celebrations of his gift of grace to us.

the suggestion to find a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat is excellent and a very healing experience for both participants and those who put the retreats on.
 
1ke said:
I suppose you’ll have to do a bit more research into what your particular denomination means by “christening.” For some-- for example Anglican/Church of England/Episcopal that term is used but it means baptism. The term “christening” comes from the fact that the baptism includes anointing with chrism oil.

Some denominations-- like evangelical, “non denominational” and other groups that don’t believe in baptizing babies have what are called “dedications” but they are **not **baptisms.

Being that you are in England… I’m thinking yours was probably a baptism. You can contact the church where you were christened and ask for the records.
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I practically live on the doorstep of the Cathedral I was Christened in so I will certainly look into that, thank you so much for your advice.
 
puzzleannie said:
only a Catholic can suffer the punishment of excommunication, because non-Catholic is not fully in communion with the Church in the first place. Direct abortion is always objectively sinful, but an individual who did have it on the basis of professional advice she trusted may or may not be personally culpable or guilty. Sin requires grave matter, knowledge of the gravity of the act and its consequences, and full free consent of the will. If the Catholic was a minor she would not be excommunicated, nor if she was never taught the gravity of the act or acted on the basis of incorrect pastoral advice, would she be necessarily guilty.

For anyone who has this or anything else in the past, and wishes to become Catholic, they will be prepared for sacramental confession shortly before they come into the Church, and will relate this as well as all other grave sins from their past life to the priest, receive absolution, and do penance. For an unbaptized person, all sins are removed through baptism. Hopefully the teaching the candidate receives while preparing to come into the Church will explain the nature of moral law, sin, the need for sacramental confession, and how such moral decisions are made.

Welcome home, yes Christ extends his mercy to all through the sacraments which are celebrations of his gift of grace to us.

the suggestion to find a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat is excellent and a very healing experience for both participants and those who put the retreats on.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your explanation of this, I have yet to attend Church (going this Sunday, so excited!) and start RCIA classes so I was a little unsure of what mortal sin was and if it applied to all previous sins I had commited as a non-Catholic. This explanation has made it much clearer for me, again, thank you. 🙂
 
I am a Catholic, although I was non-practicing for a number of years. When I had just turned 18, I had an abortion not by choice, but because my partner at the time urged me to do so. While I knew that the Church did not support abortion, I was unaware that it was grounds for excommunication. I am now married with three children, none of whom were born out of wedlock. My husband and I are in the process of having my first marriage annuled and our marriage convalidated. Does my circumstance allow for the forgiveness of my sin, which I have grieved over for 13 years, or am I unable to receive the Sacraments even after I confess? I am devastated at the thought of being excommunicated for a decision that I have never willingly agreed to, and one which I have beaten myself up over for so many years.
 
Cookie210 said:
I am a Catholic, although I was non-practicing for a number of years. When I had just turned 18, I had an abortion not by choice, but because my partner at the time urged me to do so. While I knew that the Church did not support abortion, I was unaware that it was grounds for excommunication. I am now married with three children, none of whom were born out of wedlock. My husband and I are in the process of having my first marriage annuled and our marriage convalidated. Does my circumstance allow for the forgiveness of my sin, which I have grieved over for 13 years, or am I unable to receive the Sacraments even after I confess? I am devastated at the thought of being excommunicated for a decision that I have never willingly agreed to, and one which I have beaten myself up over for so many years.
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Cookie,

Abortion automatically excommunicates a person but only if certain criteria are met, and knowledge of the penalty is one of those. It seems you lacked full knowledge of the gravity of what you were doing, and the Church’s teacing on the matter.

You should discuss this with the priest when you go to Confession. Yes, you will be able to receive the Sacraments again after confessing. If there is anything more that needs to be done to reconcile you with the Church-- the priest will tell you. Otherwise, receive your absolution and be at peace.

And, I hope you will get healing through one of the post-abortion ministries. You must stop beating yourself up over this. Please get healing and find peace. God is merciful and forgiving, and there is NO sin greater than his love for us!
 
Cookie210 said:
I am a Catholic, although I was non-practicing for a number of years. When I had just turned 18, I had an abortion not by choice, but because my partner at the time urged me to do so. While I knew that the Church did not support abortion, I was unaware that it was grounds for excommunication. I am now married with three children, none of whom were born out of wedlock. My husband and I are in the process of having my first marriage annuled and our marriage convalidated. Does my circumstance allow for the forgiveness of my sin, which I have grieved over for 13 years, or am I unable to receive the Sacraments even after I confess? I am devastated at the thought of being excommunicated for a decision that I have never willingly agreed to, and one which I have beaten myself up over for so many years.
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Cookie,

I think it’s important to realize that even if your partner urged you to do so, and you felt like you had no choice, the choice is always for you to make. With that said, you have been through terrible emotional and spiritual trauma. You should talk to a trusted priest - someone with good pastoral sensibilities, and discuss what you should do. If you have not confessed this sin, I strongly urge you to do so. As for excommunication, I think you did not incur the penalty, though a priest or bishop would need to confirm. See this link, with the important excerpt below:
NOTE WELL To actually incur the excommunication one must know that it is an excommunicable offense at the time of the abortion. Canon 1323 provides that the following do not incur a sanction, those who are not yet 16, are unaware of a law, do not advert to it or are in error about its scope, were forced or had an unforeseeable accident, acted out of grave fear, or who lacked the use of reason (except culpably, as by drunkenness). Thus a woman forced by an abusive husband to have an abortion would not incur an excommunication, for instance, whereas someone culpably under the influence of drugs or alcohol would (canon 1325).
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Most important for you, I suspect, would be the lack of knowledge, and perhaps the grave fear or coercion aspects.
 
Cookie God Bless you
1ke gave good advice.Good luck & go see that priest as soon as possible toput your mind at rest.Be sure in the knowledge God loves you & all sins can be forgiven.
 
I’m also from the UK and am sorry to hear about your situation. No, the Church does not exclude anybody from RCIA. Christ came to forgive our sins, not to condemn us and the sacrament of Confession is specifically for the forgiveness of mortal sin. If you decide to become a full member of the Church at some point then you will be asked to make a first Confession prior to Holy Communion. Confession wipes your slate clean in the eyes of God but doesn’t take away all temporal punishment. I know some girls that have had abortions, both baptised Catholics. One has returned to the Church and went to Confession firstly. Then she got in contact with Life which is a pro-life organisation linked to the Catholic Church that give counselling to women that have had abortions. She finds this very useful. My other friend still is away from the Church. Some priests also will do a remembrance service for the child that was aborted and this tends to be a private family service however, the contacts at Life may give you information about who would be prepared to do this. Not every priest does.

This is Life’s website:
lifecharity.org.uk/

This is the helpline:
0800 915 4600

I think the helpline is manned in office hours. However, as Life is a charity run on volunteers mainly you may need to leave your number and they will ring you back. It can also be confidential if you need to leave a home number. I’m a member of Life and contemplated counselling women who had abortions however, I didn’t have the time as I had a baby. The helpline is also for women who are currently in a crisis pregnancy.
 
Cookie210 said:
I am a Catholic, although I was non-practicing for a number of years. When I had just turned 18, I had an abortion not by choice, but because my partner at the time urged me to do so. While I knew that the Church did not support abortion, I was unaware that it was grounds for excommunication. I am now married with three children, none of whom were born out of wedlock. My husband and I are in the process of having my first marriage annuled and our marriage convalidated. Does my circumstance allow for the forgiveness of my sin, which I have grieved over for 13 years, or am I unable to receive the Sacraments even after I confess? I am devastated at the thought of being excommunicated for a decision that I have never willingly agreed to, and one which I have beaten myself up over for so many years.
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I would personally encourage you to go to Confession even though it’s very difficult. It could really make you feel better and made me feel better when I was in a sexual relationship outside of marriage. Then you would be free to start afresh. If you know your local parish priest and are concerned about going to someone that you know, then sometimes it’s easier to go to Confession at the cathedral or another parish if you feel it’s more anonymous. Again I will give you the helpline for Life here in the UK:

Helpline
0800 915 4600

Sometimes people who go to Confession ask to receive the grace of the sacrament if they feel it’s too difficult to confess a particular sin. However, we also need to confess our sins when we feel able. It might help if you go more than once.
 
budgie2 said:
I’m also from the UK and am sorry to hear about your situation. No, the Church does not exclude anybody from RCIA. Christ came to forgive our sins, not to condemn us and the sacrament of Confession is specifically for the forgiveness of mortal sin. If you decide to become a full member of the Church at some point then you will be asked to make a first Confession prior to Holy Communion. Confession wipes your slate clean in the eyes of God but doesn’t take away all temporal punishment. I know some girls that have had abortions, both baptised Catholics. One has returned to the Church and went to Confession firstly. Then she got in contact with Life which is a pro-life organisation linked to the Catholic Church that give counselling to women that have had abortions. She finds this very useful. My other friend still is away from the Church. Some priests also will do a remembrance service for the child that was aborted and this tends to be a private family service however, the contacts at Life may give you information about who would be prepared to do this. Not every priest does.

This is Life’s website:
lifecharity.org.uk/

This is the helpline:
0800 915 4600

I think the helpline is manned in office hours. However, as Life is a charity run on volunteers mainly you may need to leave your number and they will ring you back. It can also be confidential if you need to leave a home number. I’m a member of Life and contemplated counselling women who had abortions however, I didn’t have the time as I had a baby. The helpline is also for women who are currently in a crisis pregnancy.
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Thank you for all of the information, I have briefly contacted Life before as I live nearby to a drop-in centre but I shall certainly make sure that I get back in contact with them. A remembrance service sounds beautiful and when I do (hopefully) become a full member of the Church I shall certainly look into that further.
Thanks a lot for all your help and information.
 
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