Is the Pope Catholic? - Pope Francis grants priests authority to forgive abortion, announces more changes in letter

The Jubilee Year of Mercy has come to an end, but some of the special exceptions have not. Pope Francis has extended several key permissions to his clergy that will make it easier for the faithful to reconcile.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Sin doesn't take a day off and neither should mercy. This appears to be the approach of Pope Francis whose latest letter marks the close of the Jubilee Year of Mercy with the indefinite extension of a few items intended to ensure long-term pastoral care of the faithful.

During the Jubilee Year of Mercy, priests were permitted to forgive the sin of procured abortion. To procure an abortion is one of the gravest sins a person can commit as it involves the destruction of a life, created by the will of God. It is the ultimate defiance of God combined with the ultimate homicide of the most defenseless person in their mother's womb.

Until the Jubilee, such sins required special absolution, which was not a convenient process. As a result, some Catholic women who committed this sin became estranged and fell away from the Church. Now, these women have a door open to them.

This should not be construed as a softening of the Church's stance on abortion. Instead, it is a recognition that God's mercy is greater than any sin.

"The Sacrament of Reconciliation must regain its central place in the Christian life," Pope Francis wrote in his letter. "Given this need, lest any obstacle arise between the request for reconciliation and God's forgiveness, I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion... there is no sin that God's mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father."

In addition to making it easier to reconcile the sin of abortion, Pope Francis extended the recognition that priests of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) may also hear confessions. The move is likely to aid reconciliation efforts between the divided brethren.

Pope Francis has also extended indefinitely the mandates for the Missionaries of Mercy. The Missionaries of Mercy are over a thousand clergy who have been given a special mission to travel and preach and hear confessions. These missionaries may travel anywhere and are not restricted to a particular diocese. They are also authorized to forgive four particular sins, the taking of the Sacrament (Body of Christ) for sacrilege, assault on the Pope, aid in committing adultery, and violating the seal of confession.

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Finally, Pope Francis has instituted the World Day for the Poor, which will now occur on the thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time. 

The good news is that while the Holy Door has been closed at the Vatican, the mercy of God remains open and available to all.
 

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