Pope to allow forgiveness for abortion

[WitchOfAlba]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34118105

I just don't get this. How is it OK to give forgiveness for 1 year and then not OK after that? It's either OK to give forgiveness or it isn't, surely?

I think it may prove a 'thin end of wedge' pronouncement (by which I mean that once out there, it will be impossible to recall).

The politicking in the Vatican can mean that it's not always possible to be straightforward.

The Catholic Church holds that life begins at conception, so abortion will always be considered a grave sin. But this Pope seems to be turning the general idea of compassion towards sinners into actual action.

the sooner people realise they do not need forgiveness or indeed to care about the opinion of religious whack-jobs, the more chance the planet has.

Agree with special

whoop-de-doo

I wonder how 'sinful' I would be seen as. I've forgiven myself and I did what I did for the right reasons. I'm not sure I need anyone else's forgiveness (not that I hold much respect for the Catholic Church)

Well he can just fuck off.

How very, very generous of his holiness ... NOT!

I hereby authorize women everywhere to forgive their priests and their big boss the pope for propagating misogynist doctrines. Provided, of course, that they are appropriately ashamed of themselves. Oh, and my special offer ends by 31st August 2016!

That's terribly kind of him...I can see queues forming for chapel already, better be quick if it's only for a year.

Nobody needs his forgiveness. He can fuck off.

I don't disagree with the points raised above but I also feel that if some comfort is brought to a woman who does feel guilt that can only be a good thing.

I do feel guilt about mine frequently although I'm not catholic (lapsed c of e.)

I agree with *special", and would go further and say that the sooner everyone in the world realises that religion is a huge con and that there are no sky fairies the better.

Ladymoods summed up my thought entirely, I really couldn't give a flying fuck for his forgiveness, unneeded and irrelevant

So, for a year they will be collecting discovering the identities of many non UK, European women who decided that their unborn children were disposable, part of the throw away culture.

Once the jubilee year is over what will they do? Will they extend the current UK situation to the rest of Europe?

That's nice of him.

So he's making the rules now is he? Thought that was gods job?

That's big of him.

Is he hoping women will forgive him and previous popes for all the terrible things they have done to women in the name of their religion?

ladymoods sums up my thoughts perfectly.

Rabbit, think of the Jubilee like a papal QuarterQuell.

The incumbent papa gets to put his stamp on each QuarterQuell and this one is, apparently, most compassionate and merciful!

Ourblanche do you honestly think that's the only reason people have terminations? I'm hoping you're being sarcastic.

Kitty, I am assuming you have not read the link in the OP.

I was paraphrasing the words of the man himself.

Personally, I don't have the words for how I feel about that!

Sorry ourblanche, I didn't. That was shit of me, I thought it would make me angry, better that than jumping down people's throats though. Apologies, it's a sensitive subject for me. No excuse though.

Wow, thats one special man. Shows an utter lack of understanding around the issue really. There are no words really!

Don't worry. I knew that if you had read it you wouldn't have thought that, so it would have been pointless snarking at you

He is a poppet, isn't he?

I mean really...what do people expect the pope to say? The Catholic church is conservative, he appears to be more liberal than his predecessors but he can't rock the boat too much.

This is a start to acceptance - a small step forward but hopefully one that will be built on. This will cause plenty of controversy within the Church so I think he's smart to be taking things slow.

Religion is so tolerant isn't it?

I don't expect this, but would like him, and every other religious bod, every religion, to either disappear in a puff of blue smoke or just shut up altogether.

I have no idea why such acceptance is required in the 21st century. He is not smart he is a continuance of male suppression and his liberalness seems to be fleeting and not particularly pleasant about those who choose to 'throw away' their unborn child.

Abolishing the outmoded cult, in its entirety, immediately is simply too slow for me.

You might like them abolished, I'm pretty sure the Catholic women out there wouldn't. So if this is a move towards accepting contraception and abortion, I'm all for it.