Priests Can “Forgive” Women Who’ve Had Abortions, Says Pope Francis
Pope Francis is widely thought to be a forward-thinking man. [Photo: Rex]
He was hailed a modern Pope after actively encouraging women to breastfeed during his church services and saying that the church should embrace divorced people, and now Pope Francis has once again revealed that’s he’s a lot more liberal than his predecessors.
In a major step forward, the head of the Catholic Church has admitted he’s going to allow all priests to choose whether they wish to “forgive” women who have had abortions, during the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy.
Abortions will be “forgiven”, if the individual priests desire, from this December through until November 2016 – the run of the Holy Year. However, it is thought that the Argentinian pontiff will allow the policy to continue after the Holy Year ends.
Pope Francis spoke of the “existential and moral ordeal” involved in ending a pregnancy and admitted he had “met so many women who bear the scar of this agonising and painful decision”.
Traditionally speaking, abortion is thought to be a grave “moral evil” by the Roman Catholic Church, so this move is a major change for Pope Francis to make.
This isn’t the first time the current Pope’s shaken up the Catholic Church, since being elected Pope in March 2013.
At the start of this year, he was applauded after affirming his support of breastfeeding in the Sistine Chapel, telling the mums in his congregation, “You mothers give your children milk and even now, if they cry because they are hungry, breastfeed them, don’t worry.”
Pope Francis has stated his support for breastfeeding in public previously. During an interview with La Stampa in December 2013, he said, “There was a young mother behind one of the barriers with a baby that was just a few months old. The child was crying its eyes out as I came past. “I said to her: Madam, I think the child’s hungry. ‘Yes, it’s probably time…’ she replied. “Please give it something to eat!” I said. She was shy and didn’t want to breastfeed in public, while the Pope was passing.”
And breastfeeding’s not the only subject, that the Catholic Church deems controversial, which he’s weighed in on.
In 2013, Francis famously said, “Who am I to judge?” when asked about a Vatican monsignor who allegedly had a gay lover in his past. Many assumed that the Pope’s comments meant he’s far more open than his predecessors; as he’s urged the church to be less judgemental towards those they deem saints and sinners – including those who are divorced.
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