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Pope to allow all priests to forgive abortion during Holy Year
Reuters via Yahoo News ^ | 1 Sept, 2015 | Isla Binnie

Posted on 09/01/2015 7:08:42 AM PDT by Graybeard58

Pope Francis will give all priests discretion during the Roman Catholic Church's upcoming Holy Year to formally forgive women who have had abortions, in the Argentine pontiff's latest move towards a more open and inclusive church.

In Church teaching, abortion is such a grave sin that those who procure or perform it incur an automatic excommunication. Usually only designated clergy and missionaries can formally forgive abortions.

But from Dec.8 to Nov. 26, during an extraordinary Holy Year or "Jubilee" on the theme of mercy announced by Pope Francis in March, all priests will be able to do so, he said in a letter published on Tuesday by the Vatican.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
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To: Obadiah

What difference does it make. The only lives that matter today are black thugs’. Rapes and murders of children are deemed acts of love. Everyone must kowtow to the whims of the LGTBWHATEVER crowd who push their deviant sexual behaviors onto little school kids. The boy king can bypass the other two branches and Constitution of the US so it follows the Pope can bypass the Bible (no other gods before me) and take over God’s powers.


81 posted on 09/01/2015 10:28:33 AM PDT by bgill ( CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: miss marmelstein
For absolution to be given there must be contrition and firm purpose of amendment. In the case of murder, this is usually understood that one must turn oneself in. You have taken a life, you must make restitution.

'I Confess' is about a murderer framing the priest and confessing the murder to him. Due to the absolute Seal of the Confessional, the priest cannot say anything about what was confessed to him.

82 posted on 09/01/2015 10:30:03 AM PDT by pbear8 (the Lord is my light and my salvation)
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To: miss marmelstein

Because abortion incurs automatic excommunication, a regular priest confessor will go to the bishop to get this lifted before he gives absolution. That is the special circumstance for anyone under excommunication. During the Year of Mercy, this is granted to all priest confessors in the hope that more women will confess their abortion and be reconciled to God.


83 posted on 09/01/2015 10:37:14 AM PDT by pbear8 (the Lord is my light and my salvation)
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To: MHGinTN

You’re going to have to take that up with the Master at the last judgement.


84 posted on 09/01/2015 10:43:53 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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To: Graybeard58

He’s infallible you know.


85 posted on 09/01/2015 10:44:29 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (Of those born of women there is not risen one greater than John The Baptist.)
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To: Ge0ffrey

For those in Christ Jesus there is therefore NOW no condemnation, so I don’t expect being judged at the last judgment because I have been born from above by God’s Promise, not by any striving. Those not in Christ will be there where you apparently expect to have your striving weighed/judged. Good luck with that!


86 posted on 09/01/2015 10:48:14 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: PigRigger
I must ask.. do you beleive we can earn God's grace?

No. We do not believe that. Categorically, absolutely not. There is no way to earn God's grace...as a matter of fact the word itself in Latin indicates that it is a free gift...*gratia*.

This from the Council of Trent:

ON JUSTIFICATION

CANON I.-If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema.

Christ said to the Apostles in John 20: whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. Doesn't that sound to you like He intended God's forgiveness to be mediated through the Church?
87 posted on 09/01/2015 10:49:08 AM PDT by Claud
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To: Ge0ffrey

catholiciism has been lying to you. You cannot work your way to worthiness, and by trying to do so you are rejecting God’s Grace in Christ because you are not believing His Promise that He will cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness and make you a new creation.


88 posted on 09/01/2015 10:49:56 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: MHGinTN

You need to read the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles more carefully:

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4And while stayinga with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized withb the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Ascension

6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.c

15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlongd he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;

and

“‘Let another take his office.’

21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.


89 posted on 09/01/2015 10:51:16 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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To: MHGinTN
When you in your self pride believe you can strive to obtain salvation by paying for your sins,

Which is worse? Having the self-pride to believe you can pay for your own sins (which we don't believe by the way). Or categorically declaring yourself forgiven so that you don't have to pay back anything at all?

Say I break a neighbor's window. He says that's ok, it happens. And I empty my piggy bank and given him $13.45 to pay for it. Does it pay for a window? No. Will the neighbor appreciate it? Likely yes.

Now instead, imagine he forgives me and I say "Great!" and go home and play video games while he cleans up broken glass.

I may be forgiven...but the window is still broken. An injustice has been done, and the *effects* of that injustice still remain.

Christianity without penance is vacuous.

90 posted on 09/01/2015 10:59:46 AM PDT by Claud
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To: Claud

speaking as a glazier, the hand wringing is irrelevant

I got the opportunity to reglaze the window and receive $13.45


91 posted on 09/01/2015 11:03:36 AM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12, 73, .. Iran deal & holocaust: Obama's batting clean up for Adolph Hitler)
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To: Claud
"Having the self-pride to believe you can pay for your own sins (which we don't believe by the way)." Um, do you believe in purgatory? ... Yeah, thought so.
92 posted on 09/01/2015 11:04:19 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: pbear8

Thanks for the info. I believe in absolution and penance. Rush is going on about this. He doesn’t seem to get it, either. What’s not Christian about absolution???


93 posted on 09/01/2015 11:07:42 AM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: I'd like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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To: bert

I’m afraid catholics will not see the wisdom in your post. It is Christ Who receives the glory for our salvation, not of any works we do, so we cannot boast. But catholic insist on being in a position to boast, as they do often on these threads, boasting of being on the path to eternal life because they are institutionalized in the ‘one true church’.


94 posted on 09/01/2015 11:07:49 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: pleasenotcalifornia

I saw that, but you must not have seen this most recent:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vaticans-un-rep-criticizes-sustainable-development-goals-for-promoting-abor

“The Holy See submitted written reservations on the SDGs to the UN in the fall, highlighting concerns about the language of “sexual and reproductive health.” Pro-life advocates raised concerns last month after the Holy See made a statement appearing to endorse the SDGs without qualification, but they denied it, telling LifeSiteNews the Holy See “cannot and will never support … anything that can undermine the Family or the Right to Life from the moment of conception.”


95 posted on 09/01/2015 11:18:00 AM PDT by milford421 ("All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke))
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To: Claud

No, only through/in the name of Christ.... The book of Acts is clear in this regard, never did the desiciples forgive outside of in Christ’s name...

Man is sinful, He cannot absolve absolutely with He himself having a sinful nature... it would make Christ’s sacrifice worthless... where we would no longer be condemned by law... which required a sinles sacrifical gift for our cleansing...

Christ was made our intercessor... nothing states that you need to, or must, be forgiven by a priest to find forgiveness....

Christ on many occassions asks for us to come to Him... and He will bring it to the father... there needs to be no intercessor to Him... and through Him... to the Father...


96 posted on 09/01/2015 11:18:18 AM PDT by PigRigger
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To: MHGinTN

You’re arguing against a Catholicism that doesn’t exist except in your own mind.

The idea that we can pay for our sins satisfactorily without grace is a heresy. Whoever holds this idea is anathema to the Catholic Church.


97 posted on 09/01/2015 11:22:58 AM PDT by Claud
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To: PigRigger
No, only through/in the name of Christ.... The book of Acts is clear in this regard, never did the desiciples forgive outside of in Christ’s name...

Land's sakes man, in whose name do you think the priests are absolving????

"ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, + et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."

"I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

No one is saying the priest does it on his own....as if a man could forgive debts owed to God. God forgives through the priest.

If my kid gets dirty and I wipe his face, is it the cloth that's cleaning him up? No, I'm cleaning him up by means of the cloth. When I go to Confession, God cleans me up by means of the priest.

Just like Christ used the Apostles (John 20).

Your mistake is in treating the priest as the principle actor in this, instead of just the instrument that God is acting through.

98 posted on 09/01/2015 11:36:44 AM PDT by Claud
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To: Claud
So, can a believer bypass a priest and petition forgiveness directly from Christ...? Can a Priest withold forgiveness... if so, is he not deciding in the place of Christ... I would think so... How des he pretend to know the wisdom of God? BTW, I am not Catholic... and never have I asked another to forgive my sins in Christs name... I petitioned Him directly when repenting... and asking for forgiveness.
99 posted on 09/01/2015 12:09:32 PM PDT by PigRigger
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To: Uncle Miltie
Every sin, including in fact any kind of murder whether you do it with a bomb, abortion or a baseball bat, can be absolved by sacramental Confession, if it is accompanied by true contrition and a sincere turning away from this sin.

So it has always been, and so it always will be.

The big thing with abortion (and a few other serious sins) is that it entails automatic excommunication. This does NOT mean "you are unforgivable and you are going to hell. " You have to have the excommunication lifted by someone who is authorized to do so In every diocese this means the bishop and any priest the bishop gives faculties to do so.

(As far as I know, in my diocese --- the Diocese of Knoxville --- every pastor has this faculty.)

The purpose of this is two-fold: to impress upon one's mind and heart the true seriousness of this sin--- to choose abortion is a rejection of life, which means you've cut yourself off from God, the Source of life---- and to make sure the penitent goes to an experienced priest who can adequately counsel a post-abortion penitent. Such priests would also refer her to one of the post-abortion healing ministries, such as Project Rachel.

So +Francis has decided to extend to faculty to lift excommunication, to all priests, for the duration of the Jubilee Year. It doesn't surprise me, and I think it's a good thing. It gets the word out about the availability of sacramental Confession, and I think it may help some women who have suffered for years with the burden of guilt for what they've done.

Nevertheless, much of the mainstream media reporting on this has been garbage.

Which also doesn't surprise me.

Does it surprise you?

100 posted on 09/01/2015 12:13:49 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("Justice and judgment are the foundation of His throne." - Psalm 89:15)
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