This week the Pope, presuming to speak as an "Apostle", has, according to him, given "powers to his Priests to forgive abortion". First, he is not an Apostle; there were only 12 of them and their names will be written on the 12 foundations of heaven (Rev.21:14). Others who claim they are Apostles are liars (Rev.2:2). Secondly, even if he was an Apostle, he could neither forgive abortion nor give others the power to forgive it. Only God can forgive abortion and He doesn't do it through popes, priests, or preachers. God deals directly with sinners of all kinds and always forgives sincerely repentant ones of whatever sin they have committed. But not before they commit the sin, nor afterward if they do the sin presumptuously planning to ask forgiveness after the fact. That is not a true spirit of repentance. It is doing "despite unto the Spirit of grace." Heb.10:29. However, if we sincerely confess and repent, to God, our sins, He will forgive us no matter how bad those sins might be, including abortion, one of the most heinous. If you killed your child, your other children, parents and friends might say they forgive you, but abortion is not a sin against them, it is a sin against the child, and God who gave it. No Pope, Priest, Preacher or church can forgive abortion. Even if everyone else forgives you, the sin is primarily against God "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
Pope Francis extends Catholic priests' right to forgive abortion
(CNN) Pope Francis has extended the powers of Catholic priests to forgive abortions, making the announcement in an apostolic letter released Monday. It continues a special dispensation granted last year for the duration of the Year of Mercy, which finished Sunday.
"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 when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father," the letter states.
"May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation," the letter continues.
"I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion."
The Catholic Church has long held that abortion is a grave "moral evil," with the Church's strong position on the issue driving many Catholic pro-life groups.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that every human life "from the moment of conception until death is sacred" -- and that any Catholic who procures an abortion incurs automatic excommunication, a penalty that often only a bishop can lift.
But Pope Francis announced a shift last year when he said that priests around the world would be authorized to forgive the "sin of abortion" for the duration of the Church's Year of Mercy, which ran from December 8, 2015 to November 20, 2016.
"The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented," he said at the time, expressing sympathy for women who had been through the "agonizing and painful" decision to terminate their pregnancy.
In some regions, such as in the US, many priests already had the power to forgive abortion. Vatican officials described the announcement last year as "a widening of the church's mercy."
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Forgiving abortion, or any other sin, is not a matter of "widening the (Catholic) church's Mercy". It is a matter of Jehovah God's all sufficient grace through Jesus Christ's death on the cross for our sins, and our repentance to Him, not any man. RB
______________________________
Forgiving abortion, or any other sin, is not a matter of "widening the (Catholic) church's Mercy". It is a matter of Jehovah God's all sufficient grace through Jesus Christ's death on the cross for our sins, and our repentance to Him, not any man. RB
