Pope Francis has, for the first time, extended permission to Catholic priests to forgive abortion indefinitely. Following the Catholic Church's Year of Mercy, at the start of which Pope Francis had given temporary permission to priests to absolve the 'sin' of abortion, he has now signed an apostolic letter giving this power to all priests, as opposed to just bishops and specially designated confessors.
Despite the Church's stance on abortion remaining unchanged, the Pope has previously expressed sympathy towards women who have gone through the 'agonising and painful' decision to terminate a pregnancy. In his statement, Pope Francis said: 'I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life.
'In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God's mercy cannot reach and wipe away... May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation.
'I henceforth grant to all priests... the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion.'
While it remains unclear what practical impact his remarks will have, we hope it marks a change in the way Church treats women who have had abortions, most prolifically in countries like Ireland where abortion is illegal and the Catholic Church presides.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.