Forgiveness Of Women Who Had Abortions - Available Only For A Limited Time

'"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,' [the pope] said." [1]  With these words, the pope in effect deemed abortion to be a sin [2] that can be forgiven, not only in the jubilee year of 2015 [3] but at any time.  This conclusion is based on the pope's edict, which is those who subsequent to their abortions have developed contrition in their hearts can be forgiven.  To confine forgiveness of the sin of abortion to a single jubilee year means rejecting those seeking forgiveness with contrite hearts for the exactly the same sin at any time subsequent.  In this blogger's opinion, any kind of forgiveness that is only available within a defined period is arbitrary and capricious, a form of reckless exercise of papal power unsupported by any example in the Gospels.  This weakens the Catholic church and her theological underpinnings.

Furthermore, for this pope to address only one side of his declaration, the forgiveness of women who had abortions, without addressing the other, the forgiveness of those who performed them, is crafty.


[1] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-01/pope-francis-asks-priests-to-pardon-women-who-have-abortions/6742154
[2] This blogger is against abortion but knowing whether an incident of abortion is a sin is beyond him.
[3] "A jubilee year is a special year called by the church to receive blessing and pardon from God and remission of sins. The Catholic church has called jubilee years every 25 or 50 years since the year 1300 and has also called special jubilee years from time to time, known as extraordinary jubilee years."  See http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-announces-new-global-jubilee-holy-year-mercy