Fr. Soc: Forgive but abortion remains seriously wrong
THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) head stressed that “abortion remains a grave and serious wrong”.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP head, in a statement Thursday titled “Understanding Pope Francis’ gesture rightly”, said that in the traditional language of older catechisms, it (abortion) “is a mortal sin, a deadly sin.”
“Not only does it bring death on another; it brings about the spiritual death of one who commits it with full knowledge of its malice and the consequences of this absolutely abhorrent act,” Villegas said.
Villegas issued the statement as news that Pope Francis will allow priests to absolve from the sin of abortion has recently gone viral, and, quite misleadingly, some news items even reported that the Pope has shown “more understanding” of abortion. To properly appreciate Pope Francis’ gesture, some things have to be made clear, he said.
He said abortion remains a serious wrong.
Villegas said the teachings of the Church have not changed, adding that the CBCP wishes to make this absolutely clear. “Choosing to terminate innocent, unborn life is not among a woman’s options because her right to privacy and to make decisions about herself do not extend to the life in her womb over which she enjoys no dominion at all,” he said.
He added, “Dependent on her, yes, but entrusted to her stewardship, not handed over to her power!”
The CBCP head said that under the present discipline of the Church, abortion is a “reserved sin” — one that can be absolved only by the bishop as the head of the Church.
“…The Holy Father, it seems, is inclined to allow all priests who are otherwise not impeded in the exercise of their ministry, to absolve the sin. This does not make the sin less grievous,” he said.
He said what it does is make the mercy of God more tangible through the ministry of the Church. “The Holy Father hopes that all of us sinners may more concretely experience the mercy of God”.
The archbishop pointed out that “The proper, Catholic response to the Holy Father’s gesture is for all of us, sinners, to approach the mercy of God that constantly reaches out to us, that seeks out the lost.” (Tita Roces)
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