Pope Francis Extends Priests’ Ability to Forgive Abortion

pope-listy-header-master495VATICAN CITY — The Roman Catholic Church will allow priests throughout the world to grant absolution for abortion, the Vatican said on Monday, making permanent a policy that Pope Francis announced a year ago.

In a document marking the conclusion of the church’s yearlong Jubilee of Mercy, the pope extended a policy of allowing priests — and not only bishops or special confessors — to grant forgiveness for abortion, which the church considers a sin. The announcement was a signal of the pope’s vision of a more welcoming, merciful and inclusive church.

While firmly restating his opposition to abortion as “a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life,” the pope affirmed 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 document, an apostolic letter, was signed on Sunday after a Mass denoting the end of the jubilee year. It was made public on Monday.   Continue reading

‘Satanic Temple’ Joins Planned Parenthood in Pro-Abortion Crusade

abortion_reuters-640x479In the face of growing pressure on Planned Parenthood after revelations that it was selling human body parts, the Satanic Temple has launched a pro-abortion crusade to come to the aid of America’s largest abortion provider.

The Satanic Temple, an organization that combats Christian influence in American society, has staged a series of counter-protests at pro-life rallies and filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri on behalf of one of its members who had to wait 72 hours to get an abortion due to Missouri state law.

According to reports, legislators have passed nearly 300 abortion restrictions in the past five years, resulting in the closing of “hundreds of clinics.”  Continue reading…