Catholic pope Francis has announced Tuesday that women who had an abortion but are "contrite" or repentant should be forgiven, and absolved of their sin.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Pope announced that in the upcoming "year of mercy," priests all around the world will be authorized to forgive the "sin of abortion."
The announcement that startled people in the Catholic faith has been made weeks before the Pope's travel to Cuba and the US—places which are known to have higher rates of abortion than Western Europe.
Based on canon law, any person who willingly participates in an abortion, either as the aborting woman or the abortion provider or assistant, will be immediately excommunicated from the church. This sanction is only lifted by the local bishop.
In a letter, however, Pope Francis said he would grant the authority to "absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it."
He went on to say that he feels compassion for the women who had no other choice but to undergo abortion. "I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal," said the Pope. "I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision."
CNN reports that although this may be the case, the pope still acknowledges that abortion is still a grave, "moral evil." The New York Times said that Vatican officials portrayed his announcement as "a widening of the church's mercy."
Helen Alvare, who coordinated a church-sponsored outreach in 1990 to women who had abortions, said via the Journal that this move of the Pope presents the church's open arms despite its stern prohibitions.
"He is a master of being pastoral, of interpreting the teachings that we have as an invitation to meet Jesus in your life and reconcile yourself to him if you feel separated," she said.
The power to absolve the sin of abortion and lift the excommunications would extend during the year of mercy, which will start Dec. 8 and end Nov. 20, 2016. This is in observation of what the Catholic church calls a "jubilee year," a long-time tradition wherein people are pardoned and remissions of sin happen, every 25 years and on other occasions designated by the pope.
Rev. Thomas Rosica said as per CNN that this is the "great pastoral approach and concern of Pope Francis."
The Pope has been reportedly empowering priests and other clergy to be more merciful, even flexible in the enforcement of church rules.
