Can abortion be forgiven?

[2010_Convert]

My husband and I are new converts and during our RCIA class the comment was made that the sin of abortion causes ex-communication from the Church. Can someone who had an abortion go to confession and receive forgiveness and remain a Catholic? If not, why is abortion different from other murder? By the way, we are both very pro-life.

 

[prstoessel]

Absolution for the sin of abortion can only be given with the authority of the bishop. But yes, it can be forgiven.

 

[Suni_Moon]

So, question to all you catholics, from the little protestant here…
WHY does abortion = ex communication? Infact, why do you people ex comminicate at all? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t everything be forgivable, if the person seeking forgiveness truly wants it, really feels remorse?

Isn’t that what we’re taught as christians?

That just… does not make sense to me. .__.

Explain, Catholics, explain!

 

[kimmielittle]

So, question to all you catholics, from the little protestant here…
WHY does abortion = ex communication? Infact, why do you people ex comminicate at all? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t everything be forgivable, if the person seeking forgiveness truly wants it, really feels remorse?

Isn’t that what we’re taught as christians?

That just… does not make sense to me. .__.

Explain, Catholics, explain!

Ex-communication is for the un- remorseful. Reconcellation [sp] is for the remorseful.

 

[ConstantineTG]

So, question to all you catholics, from the little protestant here…
WHY does abortion = ex communication? Infact, why do you people ex comminicate at all? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t everything be forgivable, if the person seeking forgiveness truly wants it, really feels remorse?

Isn’t that what we’re taught as christians?

That just… does not make sense to me. .__.

Explain, Catholics, explain!

What do you think excommunication is? Its not a condemnation to hell. The reason abortion carries excommunication is people seem to not understand that its murder. If one person killed another one do you have to remind people its an evil act? But with abortion, many believe its “okay”, that is within the rights of women, that it is a choice.

Excommunication is a canonical separation from the Church. Sin by itself separates us from the Church spiritually. Excommunication doesn’t mean you cannot be forgiven, it does not mean you cannot return to full communion with the Church. But its a very public statement from the Church that what you did is wrong and that you are excluded from the Church community. Its mean to make you and others realize the gravity of your acts.

 

[kimmielittle]

What do you think excommunication is? Its not a condemnation to hell. The reason abortion carries excommunication is people seem to not understand that its murder. If one person killed another one do you have to remind people its an evil act? But with abortion, many believe its “okay”, that is within the rights of women, that it is a choice.

Excommunication is a canonical separation from the Church. Sin by itself separates us from the Church spiritually. Excommunication doesn’t mean you cannot be forgiven, it does not mean you cannot return to full communion with the Church. But its a very public statement from the Church that what you did is wrong and that you are excluded from the Church community. Its mean to make you and others realize the gravity of your acts.

 

[dailey]

My husband and I are new converts and during our RCIA class the comment was made that the sin of abortion causes ex-communication from the Church. Can someone who had an abortion go to confession and receive forgiveness and remain a Catholic? If not, why is abortion different from other murder? By the way, we are both very pro-life.

I found this in the “Ask the apologist” section…

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=167650

 

[joanofarc2008]

The other part of it too is it is a way for the Church to put a big exclamation point on the sin. The Church is not saying one cannot come back - but She is saying this is very bad. Abortion is a crime where the victim is truly innocent. Just some thoughts to think about. And yes abortion can be forgiven - it is just the manner of how the person goes about being forgiven and being reconciled to the Church.

 

[Pitcharan]

So, question to all you catholics, from the little protestant here…
WHY does abortion = ex communication? Infact, why do you people ex comminicate at all? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t everything be forgivable, if the person seeking forgiveness truly wants it, really feels remorse?

Isn’t that what we’re taught as christians?

That just… does not make sense to me. .__.

Explain, Catholics, explain!

Dear little protestant, the answer to your query is already there in all protestant Bibles. Here is a quote from the NIV:
Dealing With Sin in the Church
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matt 10:15-20)

 

[kimmielittle]

The other part of it too is it is a way for the Church to put a big exclamation point on the sin. The Church is not saying one cannot come back - but She is saying this is very bad. Abortion is a crime where the victim is truly innocent. Just some thoughts to think about. And yes abortion can be forgiven - it is just the manner of how the person goes about being forgiven and being reconciled to the Church.

Thank you for this spelling “reconciled”

 

[stephe1987]

Yes, abortion can be forgiven.

But the reason the Church is so strict about abortion is that it is legalized murder. If you murder a person outside the womb, you will confess your sins, but you will also go to jail, so people know it’s very wrong. But if you murder your unborn child society doesn’t blink an eye. Some circles even encourage abortion as “population control”. The Church’s job is to save souls and lead them to heaven. Excommunication is a good way to show how serious of a sin abortion is.

The Church does not send people to hell. An excommunicated person does not necessarily go to heaven or hell. Excommunication is a sort of “time out” from the Sacraments so the person can think about what they did. And excommunications can be lifted.

 

[pablope]

Absolution for the sin of abortion can only be given with the authority of the bishop. But yes, it can be forgiven.

In addition, bishops can pass on the authority to your parish priest too.

 

[apfal]

As the canon law expert Ed Peters often emphasizes, excommunication is a “medicinal penalty”. The goal is to get people to reject whatever sin got them excommunicated.

 

[Holly3278]

So, question to all you catholics, from the little protestant here…
WHY does abortion = ex communication? Infact, why do you people ex comminicate at all? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t everything be forgivable, if the person seeking forgiveness truly wants it, really feels remorse?

Isn’t that what we’re taught as christians?

That just… does not make sense to me. .__.

Explain, Catholics, explain!

It’s based upon the Bible.

I have not sat with the council of vanity: neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things. I have hated the assembly of the malignant; and with the wicked I will not sit.
(Psalms 26:4-5 DRB)

Cast out the scoffer, and contention shall go out with him, and quarrels and reproaches shall cease.
(Proverbs 22:10 DRB)

And the Jews, seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles: that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth. And the Gentiles hearing it were glad and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country. But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women and the chief men of the city: and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their coasts. But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.
(Acts 13:45-52 DRB)

Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who make dissensions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. For they that are such serve not Christ our Lord but their own belly: and by pleasing speeches and good words seduce the hearts of the innocent.
(Romans 16:17-18 DRB)

It is absolutely heard that there is fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathens: that one should have his father’s wife. And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned: that he might be taken away from among you that hath done this thing. I indeed, absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, him that hath so done, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus: To deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven corrupteth the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ our pasch is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in an epistle not to keep company with fornicators. I mean not with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or the extortioners or the servers of idols: otherwise you must needs go out of this world. But now I have written to you, not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator or covetous or a server of idols or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner: with such a one, not so much as to eat. For what have I to do to judge them that are without? Do not you judge them that are within? For them that are without, God will judge. Put away the evil one from among yourselves.
(1 Corinthians 5:1-13 DRB)
Continued in next post...

 

[Holly3278]

If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha.
(1 Corinthians 16:22 DRB)

Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God: as God saith: I will dwell in them and walk among them. And I will be their God: and they shall be my people. Wherefore: Go out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: And I will receive you. And will be a Father to you: and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18 DRB)

I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.
(Galatians 1:6-9 DRB)

Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them.
(Ephesians 5:6-7 DRB)

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
(2 Thessalonians 3:14 DRB)

This precept, I commend to thee, O son Timothy: according to the prophecies going before on thee, that thou war in them a good warfare, Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejecting have made shipwreck concerning the faith. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have delivered up to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
(1 Timothy 1:18-20 DRB)

Alexander the coppersmith hath done me much evil: the Lord will reward him according to his works: Whom do thou also avoid: for he hath greatly withstood our words.
(2 Timothy 4:14-15 DRB)

A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, avoid: Knowing that he that is such an one is subverted and sinneth, being condemned by his own judgment.
(Titus 3:10-11 DRB)

For many seducers are gone out into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a seducer and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that you lose not the things which you have wrought: but that you may receive a full reward. Whosoever revolteth and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and the Son. If any man come to you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him: God speed you. For he that saith unto him: God speed you, communicateth with his wicked works.
(2 John 1:7-11 DRB)

God Bless,
Holly

 

[1ke]

WHY does abortion = ex communication? Infact, why do you people ex comminicate at all? I don’t get it.

I think you misunderstand what excommunication is. Many people think it means a person is “kicked out” of the Church. But this is an incorrect understanding of excommunication.

There are many canonical penalties available with excommunication being one of the most severe. It bars a person from the Sacraments until they repent and are reconciled. The person is still obligated to attend Mass. The imposition of the sentence of excommunication is to press upon the person the seriousness of what they have done and to help them form their conscience and understand the gravity of what they have done.

Shouldn’t everything be forgivable, if the person seeking forgiveness truly wants it, really feels remorse?

Yes, and one can be forgiven for any excommunicable offense if one is sorry and asks for forgiveness.

Isn’t that what we’re taught as christians?

That just… does not make sense to me. .__.

Explain, Catholics, explain!

Do you now understand better what excommunication is and isn’t?

 

[puzzleannie]

My husband and I are new converts and during our RCIA class the comment was made that the sin of abortion causes ex-communication from the Church. Can someone who had an abortion go to confession and receive forgiveness and remain a Catholic? If not, why is abortion different from other murder? By the way, we are both very pro-life.

yes abortion, getting one, performing one, aiding one, assisting, abetting in any way is a sin that incurs automatic excommunication of an adult Catholic from the Church. It can be lifted only by the bishop but because, sadly, it has become so common, bishops have given the priests authority to lift the ban during confession. Yes the penitent can receive absolution and be restored to full communion with the Catholic Church in the sacrament of confession. Note this is completely confidential since it is within the sacrament, and not the legitimate topic of speculation, criticism or conversation my anyone other than the penitent and the priest.

welcome home
this is a perfect example of a great Question to ask in RCIA
abortion is murder of the worst sort because it is committed against the most helpless and innocent of all victims and not by a stranger or as an accident of war but as a deliberate ruthless act by the child’s own parent.

In order however for the individual to be guilty of this sin, all the conditions must be met, grave matter, which it always is, full knowledge and full free will intention and consent. In addition, if the person was not aware of the excommunication, or was a minor, the penalty does not apply.

 

[prstoessel]

In addition, bishops can pass on the authority to your parish priest too.

Yes, they can. In fact, the USCCB has given that authority to the priests so all one has to do is go to confession and the excommunication is lifted.