A Note on Abortion, Excommunication and Absolution

This is a portion of my letter that will appear in this Sunday's St. John Bosco Parish Bulletin. It deals with the Pope's recent delegation to priests allowing them to absolve the sin of abortion when it is sincerely repented of. As I write, there is joy, but also some confusion over this, and I hope this clears up any questions you may have.  

Now we are entering into a time of grace for the parish and the Universal Church. Pope Francis has declared December 8, 2015 to November 20, 2016 a special Holy Year of Mercy. This is a time when people are going to be encouraged to receive the mercy of God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as well as live mercy by forgiving others who may have hurt them, as well as seeking forgiveness for themselves.

In this spirit the Pope has proclaimed that all priests will have the ability to forgive the sin of abortion without having to get permission from their local bishop. Right now abortion is what is known as a reserved sin. This is a sin that has the penalty of automatic excommunication attached to it. Since only a bishop can remove an excommunication, a priest would normally have to consult him first. The Pope has taken that requirement away for the Holy Year, and in fact told priests to exercises this authority immediately.

This is a source of great joy, but also confusion for some. Many women have already confessed this sin and may be wondering if their confession was valid. It was. Bishops have long had the ability to delegate this authority of lifting the excommunication penalty attached to the sin of abortion to the priests of their diocese. It has been the long standing policy in the Archdiocese of Chicago, as well in just about all the diocese in the U.S. that I know of, that the archbishop delegates the authority to remove the penalties associated with the sin of abortion, and validly absolve the sin to his priests. The Holy Father is using his authority as pope to extend this privilege to every diocese, no matter what the local practice may be. No one should feel that they need to confess this sin again. But if this, or any grave sin, is weighing on your conscience, you should feel confident to approach a priest and be reconciled to God and the Church.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a moment of healing for broken souls, and encouragement on the journey to holiness. It is where we meet Jesus, who is all merciful, and is Mercy itself.  I will be writing more on this Year of Mercy throughout 2015-2016. For now, be not afraid to allow the Merciful Savior into your heart.