Re: Forgiveness of abortion

[anrmenchaca47]

Now, I may be wrong here but, I have always thought that as long as you go to confession and be truly sorry for your sins you can be forgiven. Now I’m hearing that Pope Francis gave priest the “ok” to forgive abortions…I’m confused here cuz I’ve always thought that was a given. Thoughts anybody? And BTW I didn’t know where to place this thread.

 

[1ke]

Now, I may be wrong here but, I have always thought that as long as you go to confession and be truly sorry for your sins you can be forgiven. Now I’m hearing that Pope Francis gave priest the “ok” to forgive abortions…I’m confused here cuz I’ve always thought that was a given. Thoughts anybody? And BTW I didn’t know where to place this thread.

Procured abortion incurs an automatic excommunication (in general, there are some caveats to automatic excommunication including the age of the person, etc. that we need not go into here).

It is the lifting of the excommunication at the time of confession that is now extended to all priests.

Previously, these cases required the bishop’s involvement or those priests with the faculties to lift excommunication.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Now, I may be wrong here but, I have always thought that as long as you go to confession and be truly sorry for your sins you can be forgiven. Now I’m hearing that Pope Francis gave priest the “ok” to forgive abortions…I’m confused here cuz I’ve always thought that was a given. Thoughts anybody? And BTW I didn’t know where to place this thread.

Certain actions can incur a canonical penalty in addition to subjective moral guilt.

The lifting of the canonical penalty/penalties is contingent upon to whom they are reserved. If the priest does not have the prerogative by grant of the law itself or by way of a special concession, then it requires the confessor to have either recourse to the bishop (if the matter is reserved only to him) or, if necessary and/or the situation is reserved to the Holy See, the confessor would petition the Apostolic Penitentiary…provided the person is not in extremis.

 

[InThePew]

Now, I may be wrong here but, I have always thought that as long as you go to confession and be truly sorry for your sins you can be forgiven. Now I’m hearing that Pope Francis gave priest the “ok” to forgive abortions…I’m confused here cuz I’ve always thought that was a given. Thoughts anybody? And BTW I didn’t know where to place this thread.

Yes and no and no and yes!

In general, priests can forgive (“absolve”) people who go to confession. However, there a small number of sins which are restricted and require the involvement of a bishop (or, in a very small number of cases, higher) before they can be forgiven and abortion is one of these.

In the US (as well as a number of other countries) bishops had already given their priests the ability to directly forgive the sin of abortion (so without having to get the bishop involved). However, this was not the same worldwide until Pope Francis granted all priests permission last year for the Year of Mercy. In his latest letter, following the end of the year of Mercy, Pope Francis has now extended that permission indefinitely.

Hope this helps

 

[Estevao]

To my understanding, before this move by Francis, it’s not like a penitent would not be granted absolution when she went to confession for this matter in places where the bishops had not already given this faculty to priests, but rather the priest would check in with the bishop about this afterwards (there’s a term for this process which escapes me).

 

[WilliamE]

In general, priests can forgive (“absolve”) people who go to confession. However, there a small number of sins which are restricted and require the involvement of a bishop (or, in a very small number of cases, higher) before they can be forgiven and abortion is one of these.

Please excuse what might be a dumb question from a non-Catholic…

In what way would a bishop get involved? If someone confessed that she had procured an abortion, what would the priest say? “Whoa, that’s one of the big ones. Above my pay grade. Gonna have to get back to you on that one.” Are there any circumstances under which the bishop would not grant absolution?

 

[porthos11]

Please excuse what might be a dumb question from a non-Catholic…

In what way would a bishop get involved? If someone confessed that she had procured an abortion, what would the priest say? “Whoa, that’s one of the big ones. Above my pay grade. Gonna have to get back to you on that one.” Are there any circumstances under which the bishop would not grant absolution?

Priest: “In my judgment, you intentionally procured an abortion (participated in, etc.). First of all, are you sorry for having commited this?”
Penitent (sobbing): “Yes, Father, I truly am, and I will never do it again. If only I can go back and undo it, but I will regret this for the rest of my life.”
Priest: “Very good, my child. Because your sin has caused you to incur an excommunication, I cannot absolve you right now. But because I am convinced of your contrition, I will go immediately to the Bishop and ask for the the power to lift the penalty and absolve you, okay? For now, go with a blessing, and come back after tomorrow. I can absolve you then.”

Bishops’s Office
Priest: “Excellency, I have a penitent who has incurred an excommunication due to an abortion. I am convinced that this penitent is truly sorry, and I wish to impart absolution. Can you grant me the faculty to lift the penalty and absolve?”
Bishop: Of course. The faculty is granted for this penitent.

Back in the Confessional
Penitent: Hi Father, it’s me again. You told me to come back.
Priest: Ah yes. Thank God you have returned. So again, just to be complete, please confess your sins again.
(Penitent confesses).
Priest: And are you sorry for having committed this sin?
Penitent (sobbing again): Yes, Father, very much.

Priest: Then for your penance, please spend at least half an hour before the Blessed Sacrament in prayers of thanksgiving and penitence for seven days, consecutive or not. At each visit, pray Psalm 51 and one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the end of abortion. Now please say an Act of Contrition.

(Penitent does so).

Priest: May our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you , and I by his authority and that of our most reverend Bishop N., release you from the penalty of excommunication that you have incurred. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and** I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.**

Penitent: Amen.

Priest: Go in peace, and pray for me a sinner.

EXEUNT OMNES

Of course it may not be exactly like that, but the point is that there will be a lifting of excommunication (and maybe using a simpler form) and absolution from the sin.

 

[1ke]

Please excuse what might be a dumb question from a non-Catholic…

In what way would a bishop get involved? If someone confessed that she had procured an abortion, what would the priest say? “Whoa, that’s one of the big ones. Above my pay grade. Gonna have to get back to you on that one.” Are there any circumstances under which the bishop would not grant absolution?

Abortion incurs excommunication. Without the faculties to first lift the excommunication the priest cannot absolve. The bishop must first lift the excommunication. In the US priests have had that authority delegated to them for many years, and therefore the priest could do both. Not so elsewhere in the world. Now, Pope Francis extends that ability to all priests.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Abortion incurs excommunication. Without the faculties to first lift the excommunication the priest cannot absolve. The bishop must first lift the excommunication. In the US priests have had that authority delegated to them for many years, and therefore the priest could do both. Not so elsewhere in the world. Now, Pope Francis extends that ability to all priests.

It should not be made to sound as though this was something that priests in the United States uniquely could do while “elsewhere in the world,” the rest could not. Such a depiction is egregiously not true and paints a very false picture.

The American Bishops but many other Bishops as well made provision for their priests to lift the excommunication…while various other Bishops chose not make that provision.

As one of the many priests of Europe who already had this faculty, and that for many many years, I object to the characterisation.

 

[porthos11]

It should not be made to sound as though this was something that priests in the United States uniquely could do while “elsewhere in the world,” the rest could not. Such a depiction is egregiously not true and paints a very false picture.

The American Bishops but many other Bishops as well made provision for their priests to lift the excommunication…while various other Bishops chose not make that provision.

As one of the many priests of Europe who already had this faculty, and that for many many years, I object to the characterisation.

Just change “not so” to “not necessarily” and the problem is gone. Nothing more to object to.

 

[e_c]

Here are a few helpful articles discussing the present confusion over this:

canonlawblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/pope-francis-on-reconciliation-for-abortion/ (Old, but regards the same issue.)

catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2016/11/22/the-popes-abortion-comments-have-provoked-confusion-the-curia-could-have-avoided-this/

There is a difference between crime and sin (even in the same act), and so too is there a difference between the laws that govern how to “fix” them. It seems that whoever has been writing these documents for the Holy Father doesn’t understand this. Which is extremely disturbing.