It’s at the discretion of each individual Bishop. It’s possible that some US Bishops don’t delegate this authority, but I don’t know of any.If you live in the USA or any other country where the bishops allow the priest to absolve the sin, then yes. I am not sure WHEN in the USA that bishops allow priest to absolve the sin though.
I don’t believe that the media- at least most of the media- is anti-Catholic or anti-christian inherently.
This seems like persecutory thinking to me.
Not quite, as I understand it. A good confession requires that the penitent must be contrite, confess sins fully and be willing to do penance and make amends. As I’ve understood this, if contrition is absent, the confession is invalid and absolution of the sin does not occur. Most often, it would seem the priest would not know whether or not the penitent is contrite. But if contrition is not in the person’s heart, then the sin is not forgiven by the Sacrament of Reconcilliation. The priest most often would not know this either.There is also the word “discretion,” which apparently means that if the priest does not believe the penitent is sincere, he does not have to absolve them of the sin of abortion (or any other sin, I believe). Does what I am saying conform to what the Church teaches?
It can interpreted as that by some as a rubber stamp or blank check of forgiveness. This is just very concerning. I thought abortions could only be forgiven by bishops.What do you mean a blank check or a rubber stamp? From the Pope’s letter:
"I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it."
w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150901_lettera-indulgenza-giubileo-misericordia.html
That isn’t a blank check. It is directed towards those who have a contrite heart and seek forgivness.
If you are talking about in the USA, most bishops have given priests the authority to absolve the sin of abortion. So it has been this way for a while in most of the USA. I still don’t understand how someone could see this as concerning or a blank check for forgiveness. It the Pope’s letter, it clearly states one must be contrite.It can interpreted as that by some as a rubber stamp or blank check of forgiveness. This is just very concerning. I thought abortions could only be forgiven by bishops.
The authority to lift the excommunication resides with the bishop. But it is an authority that the bishop may delegate, and most (if not all) of the bishops in the US have delegated that authority to the priests.It can interpreted as that by some as a rubber stamp or blank check of forgiveness. This is just very concerning. I thought abortions could only be forgiven by bishops.
I can be seen by someone as a blank check or rubber stamp if they aren’t versed in Catholicism. There are a lot of Catholics out there who are not very well versed in their faith.If you are talking about in the USA, most bishops have given priests the authority to absolve the sin of abortion. So it has been this way for a while in most of the USA. I still don’t understand how someone could see this as concerning or a blank check for forgiveness. It the Pope’s letter, it clearly states one must be contrite.
One would like to think that is so but, unfortunately, it isn’t. A woman told me of her three abortions. Also informed me she had been raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. I asked her how she did not know abortion was a sin. She stated that the law allowed it so she thought is was okay.This needs to be discussed between the priest and penitent as each one is different. Hardly anyone today doesn’t know it is forbidden by the Catholic Church to get an abortion or to assist someone else to do so. God Bless, Memaw
How exactly would this have worked and what is the time period? A woman in the US would have gone to confession, talked about her abortion and the priest would have stopped her and said he needed to contact the bishop?NOOO. Only a bishop can offer absolution for the sin of abortion. In a lot of countries (including the USA), bishops have said that priests could absolve the sin. So, the sin of abortion was and is ALWAYS forgivable (if the person is truly sorry), just prior to this, a person might have to go to a bishop to be absolved.
This is an isolated case and, I am almost sure, not typical of most Catholics. The woman you speak of even converted from Catholicism. My Catholic friends, many of whom are not practicing Catholics, still know that abortion is a grave sin according to the Church. I know this as well, so I assume it is common knowledge, particularly among Catholics.One would like to think that is so but, unfortunately, it isn’t. A woman told me of her three abortions. Also informed me she had been raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. I asked her how she did not know abortion was a sin. She stated that the law allowed it so she thought is was okay.
Here’s an example of lacking the ability to discern between what is legal and what is moral. Two entirely different things.
She became a born again Christian and has asked forgiveness for her sins. No, she is no longer Catholic.
Pardon my ignorance, but are there any types of sins that can be forgiven without confession?It still requires sacramental confession with a priest. Nothing is changing there.
First, what is the canonical weight of this letter? It is not a law (Canon 8ff). It is not a general decree (Canon 29). It is not a general executory decree (Canon 31). It is not a canonical “instruction” (Canon 34). It is not indicated to be a motu proprio (of his own initiative).
It clearly is just a letter written to the president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, yet one that appears to be making some pretty bold grants regarding indulgences, faculty, etc. for the Year of Mercy. For a Holy Year, these type of things are usually in the form of a papal bull, such as the Pope’s document declaring the Year of Mercy, or at least a decree or motu proprio so that there is no confusion as to its official canonical weight. The form or lack thereof and the ambiguities in the letter seem to be creating some canonical doubts of law, which I am afraid may possibly nullify or suspend some of its application (Canon 14).
Second, in the letter, the Pope seems to be granting the ability to all priests to forgive the sin of abortion. While in the Eastern Churches the forgiveness of the sin of abortion is reserved to the bishop (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, 728), in the Latin Rite, all priests who have the faculty to absolve sins in confession are already seemingly able to do this.
So herein lies the problem: The Pope’s letter does not mention anything of granting the ability to priests to lift the penalty of excommunication that may result from the sin of abortion but rather only seems to grant the ability to priests to forgive the sin of abortion.
For Latin Rite priests who have the faculty to hear confessions validly, this is not granting them anything new and they are still not able to lift the penalty of excommunication if they are not able to do so by grant of their own bishop.
An additional ambiguity arises in that the letter seems to extend the grant to all priests. It does not specify that this is only to priests who have the faculty to hear confessions validly. In other words, does this ability to forgive the sin of abortion extend also to excommunicated priests, priests under interdict, priests dismissed from the clerical state, priests in schismatic or irregular groups or situations, priests who their bishops have limited or taken away their ability to hear confessions?
And if so, are these priests only able to forgive this sin and not the other sins confessed?
Good work from Mr. Nguyen. But, I can already see heads spinning and eyes glossing over.