Abortion Contrition

Local CW affiliate San Diego 6 News is trumpeting Pope Francis' abortion announcement. The Catholic Church's Holy Year of Mercy opens Dec. 8. Today the Vatican issued a proclamation that permits all priests to offer absolution to those who have committed the sin of abortion. Forgiveness will be offered to those who have procured it, and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.

San Diego 6 explains that this absolution will only be granted to those women who ask for forgiveness during the upcoming Holy Year. But they and others never mention the word, "contrition."

Contrition has a very specific meaning within the Catholic Church, and indeed, in most religious scripture and texts. It doesn't mean that you just say you are sorry.

Contrition is the expression of remorse, surely, but more importantly, it is a manifestation of repentance. Repentance involves turning away from sin. To repent of abortion is to turn your back on the very practice of abortion.

I believe this is sound guidance from Pope Francis. As a Christian, I believe I ought to forgive a sinner, and hate the sin. I am a little concerned that the story is going to be spun by the legacy media to imply that the Pope has put a green light on abortion. And social issues have a way of ratcheting in only one direction.

When I googled "pope" today, the very first search result was this masterpiece at cnn.com. Entitled, Pope Francis says priests can forgive women who've had abortions, the article is by Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor.

In the fifth paragraph, Burke cites a survey by Public Religion Research Institute. He claims that the poll indicates that 51% of American Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all cases. The poll actually indicates that 51% of Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

One would expect the religion editor of a fine journalistic outfit like CNN to either not lie, or to look at the actual data.

Pope Francis is making clear that a woman who has an abortion need not be excommunicated. The Church's Code of Canon Law says that offenses that carry automatic excommunication include "procuring, performing or actively assisting or pressuring a woman into having an abortion."

I wonder if any California lawmakers, or the sheeple who voted for them, realize they are subject to excommunication? California Assembly Bill 775 would require crisis pregnancy centers to actively assist women to obtain an abortion.

And for the love of Pete, why hasn't Nancy Pelosi, "Catholic and mother of five," been excommunicated?