Pope Francis To Allow Forgiveness for Abortions

 

This is a fairly big step...

Is it? I mean, it's certainly more convenient in that the confessional booth at your local parish is certainly easier to get to than the diocesan cathedral. But it's not as if abortion was completely unforgivable and now it is; all sins are forgivable. It's just that in some countries it was still only the bishop that could grant absolution for abortion because it carries automatic excommunication as a consequence.

 

Priests in the U.S. already had this authority from the national Conference of Bishops.

So one of the reasons that I left the Catholic Church is at the heart of this.

 

I feel like there is a disconnect between the Catholic Church and what scripture actually says. Christ died for the sins of humanity, and I really don't think there is an asterisk by any sin.

 

Idk, to me it just comes off as weird that the pope "gives" authority to priests to forgive abortion. As if God is just now giving the green light for it.

 

Now, confessing sin to Christian brothers and sisters, I think there is something real and powerful behind that. I just think the absolution happened already.

Whew, so glad a MAN isn't responsible for forgiving me.:popcorn:

Whew, so glad a MAN isn't responsible for forgiving me.:popcorn:

 

Why did Jesus instruct his disciples to forgive other people's sins?

 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

 

John 20 19-23

So one of the reasons that I left the Catholic Church is at the heart of this.

 

I feel like there is a disconnect between the Catholic Church and what scripture actually says. Christ died for the sins of humanity, and I really don't think there is an asterisk by any sin.

 

Idk, to me it just comes off as weird that the pope "gives" authority to priests to forgive abortion. As if God is just now giving the green light for it.

 

Now, confessing sin to Christian brothers and sisters, I think there is something real and powerful behind that. I just think the absolution happened already.

 

The sin itself isn't the issue here. It's the canonical penalty of excommunication that is automatically proscribed following procurement of an abortion. That's where this specific authority comes in.

 

Now if the issue is with the sacrament of penance on the whole and the Church's interpretation of John 20:23, then that's a completely different thing altogether.

Why did Jesus instruct his disciples to forgive other people's sins?

 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

 

John 20 19-23

 

Love you my internet brother CWB, but if you are trying to convince me it's the responsibility of an intermediary other than Christ who has the "authority" to forgive me of sin, any sin, it's just not going to happen. Now, Jesus tells us that each of us are to personally forgive, sure...but that's not what we are talking here in relation to the Pope giving "authority" to a Priest.