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 needs to be corrected.
