Pope Francis will allow priests discretion to absolve women who have had abortions if they seek forgiveness during the upcoming Holy Year beginning Dec. 8, the Vatican announced in a statement Tuesday.

"One of the serious problems of our time is clearly the changed relationship with respect to life," the pope wrote in the English-language version of his letter, in which he described the "existential and moral ordeal" of women who have chosen to terminate their pregnancies.
Remarking that he has met with many women who have faced this decision, Francis said that women "who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision" deserve the forgiveness of God if they seek it.

"The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father," Francis wrote.

"For this reason too, 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 for it," the pontiff went on. "May priests fulfil this great task by expressing words of genuine welcome combined with a reflection that explains the gravity of the sin committed, besides indicating a path of authentic conversion by which to obtain the true and generous forgiveness of the Father who renews all with his presence."
The latest message comes weeks before the pope is set to visit the United States, where the debate over the legal status of abortion has continued for more than 40 years since the Supreme Court's decision inRoe v. Wade, and has intensified in recent months with videos showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the donation of tissues from aborted fetuses.

While he's in the U.S., Francis will stop in Washington, D.C., and New York before traveling to Philadelphia.
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush weighed in on Francis' statement on Tuesday morning, saying that he was not surprised and that "we could all use a lot of mercy in this world."

"I hope that we also focus on mercy for the unborn, the hundreds of thousands of babies that will die," the former governor of Florida said in a Fox News interview. "I think we need to have a society that protects life from the beginning to end, and we should be a repentant society, for sure."


http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/pope-francis-abortion-forgive-women-213210#ixzz3kVT6JAiR

[size=4pt]cc : Lalasticala, seun, ishilove[/size]

...before nko? dey deserve to b forgiven naa!!! pope wat of people dat stole billions and trillions of naira, do dey deserve stoning to death?

Lalasticlala

.

ok

Catholics why do you seek forgiveness from a priest instead of from God

Ok....the men that accompanied the ladies to do the abortion need forgiveness too, let them also step forward with their confession. Say NO to abortion.

Its [size=20pt]LadyF[/size] again

I am the way the truth and the life. no one comet unto the father except thru me. that's what Jesus said.


God alone can forgive all sins.. confess ur sins directly to him thru Jesus no priest can absolve ur sins. only Jesus can..

oya catholics in the house, sentence me to death.

/

Better...people are beginning to move with present day challenges

Noting wey I no go hear sef!

Na only God can forgive

If murderers of born victims can be unforgiven, murderers of unborn victims can also be pardoned.
But the thought that unblemished unborn babies are killed by the hour makes my stomach wrench.

End time pope

Only God forgives.

It's getting harder by the day to determine what is wrong from good. Post like this makes one ponder if the heaven that was believed by the old is still the heaven we are aiming for. Or has the heavenly standards been amended?

Popes.. Forgiving sins without dying or shedding thier blood since 01 A.D..




Even Jesus sef go dey wonder why ehn bother to die..

Noting wey person no go hear

If that is d case , ladies go abort tire b4 dec 8 since they will b. Forgiven

who cares na forgiveness from God be koko. priest wey be say some dey do child/ gay abuse

So na man de dcide man fate nw frm God, na wa oooo, lata him go de dcide who will enta heaven and who will nt... In 2 baba's voice "Nobody holy pass"

Dacman:
Better...people are beginning to move with present day challenges

We call it the modernization of an unchanging God.

Only GOD forgives!

Hey, y'all asking why we confess to a priest shud check -James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The
effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

Priests are now gods I guess
Why should priests intercede for them or they don't have guts to ask for forgiveness in?

Okay

Endtimes...
Here again

ladyF:
Ok....the men that accompanied the ladies to do the abortion need forgiveness too, let them also step forward with their confession. Say NO to abortion.

Its [size=20pt]LadyF[/size] again

are u also on religion section? Mtn!

No matter Hw dark our sins r before d lord,he will make it as white as snow.If only we will confess them before the Lord!! Plz God forgive me my sins and my fellow NLDERs.Amen

Good one