When it comes to abortion, the world is divided into
pro-life and pro-choice and it appears the Catholic
Church has tilted the balance a wee bit towards
pro-choice. Even though Pope Francis emphasized that abortion
was a grave sin, he tempered it by saying, “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”.
By granting all priests the power to forgive the sin of abortion,
the Pope has brought relief to a number of women who might
still habour the guilt of an abortion. Hitherto, the power was
vested in the bishop. The announcement neither trivializes
abortion nor opens the door to more abortions. On the contrary
it could lift the stigma that many women experience in
conservative societies. It could also pave the way for a review
of the church’s stand on contraception. The only anomaly in
this doctrine is that it views the women, doctors who perform
abortions and nurses who assist as sinners. The man who
contributed towards creating the fetus gets away scot free.
He is free from any responsibility or the guilt of sin. This attitude
betrays a bias towards men and leaves the church open
to the charge of patriarchal dominance. It surely needs to
be corrected.
