Pope Francis has announced that, beginning in December, Catholic priests all over the world will have the “power” to forgive a
woman for the “mortal” sin of having an abortion. Evidently priests in the United States, Britain, and some other countries already have that “power.” Interesting.
So, an ex-Catholic saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ like myself must ask the OBVIOUS questions:
* How can Catholics intellectually reconcile that women living in countries where abortion was unforgivable and who aborted their babies were damned to hell while American women who had an abortion were able to have their “mortal” sin forgiven?
* This new policy takes effect in December. Will citizens of countries where abortion was unforgivable and who aborted a baby but died prior to the policy change remain in hell or will the pope grant them a “Get Out of Jail Free” card in December?
* If an American woman traveled to a country where abortion was unforgivable for an abortion and returned to the US was she able to have her overseas abortion forgiven by an American priest ?
* Could a citizen of a country where abortion was unforgivable abort her child in her own country and travel to the US to have her “mortal” sin forgiven by an American priest?
Oy vey! Call the canon lawyers!
Abortion is the murder of an innocent life and is a tragic sin. Many people look down in judgement on a woman who has aborted a child. But we are ALL sinners and none of us can stand before a Holy God based on our unholy merits. The Lord told the self-righteous Pharisees that just being unreasonably angry with someone was equivalent to murder (Matthew 5:21-22).
The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to pay the penalty for our sin. Pray to the Lord and accept Him as your Savior. Confessing sins to a sinful man and trying again and again to obey your way into Heaven is a futile endeavor. Jesus came to save sinners who are humbled and have no plea of their own. He didn’t come to save the religious self-righteous who are convinced THEY don’t need a Savior.
“I have not come to call the (self) righteous, but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:32
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Pope Francis says all priests can forgive women who’ve had abortions
By Daniel Burke, CNN
September 1, 2015
(CNN)Pope Francis shook up the Catholic world — again — on Tuesday by announcing that priests around the world will be authorized to forgive the “sin of abortion” when the church begins a “Year of Mercy” this December.
“The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented,” the Pope said, adding that he has met “many women” scarred by the “agonizing and painful” decision to have an abortion.
Francis’ announcement will give all priests full authority to absolve Catholics contrite about their role in a procedure that the church considers a grave “moral evil.” In the United States, many priests already have that power, but Vatican officials portrayed Tuesday’s announcement as “a widening of the church’s mercy.”
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