After an abortion

Can this be forgiven?

Yes. “There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive”, and there is no one “who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest”. CCC 982 John Paul II wrote to women who have had an abortion that the Church “does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision”, that what happened “was and remains terribly wrong”, and then: “do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. … The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child.” Evangelium Vitae 99

The excommunication does not close that door. The Church attaches the penalty to show the gravity of the act, and “does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy”. CCC 2272 It falls on those who act “with knowledge of the penalty attached”. Evangelium Vitae 62 Canon law reserves absolution from such a penalty to the Pope, the local bishop or priests they authorise, CCC 1463 and lets any confessor lift it in confession where waiting would be hard on the penitent. Can. 1357 Since 2016 every priest has the faculty to absolve this sin, granted by Francis in the letter that closed the Jubilee of Mercy. Francis, Misericordia et Misera, 20 November 2016, §12 In practice, it is enough to go to confession.

What the sacrament gives is more than a permission. Its whole power “consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship”, and it “is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation”. CCC 1468 The one forgiven “is reconciled with himself in his inmost being”, with others and with the Church. CCC 1469

982

There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. "There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest. Roman Catechism I, 11, 5. Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin. Cf. Mt 18:21-22.

1468

"The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship." Roman Catechism, II, V, 18. Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation "is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation." Council of Trent (1551): DS — Denzinger–Schönmetzer (Enchiridion Symbolorum). Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God. Cf. Lk 15:32.

1469

This sacrament reconciles us with the Church. Sin damages or even breaks fraternal communion. the sacrament of Penance repairs or restores it. In this sense it does not simply heal the one restored to ecclesial communion, but has also a revitalizing effect on the life of the Church which suffered from the sin of one of her members. Cf. 1 Cor 12:26. Re-established or strengthened in the communion of saints, the sinner is made stronger by the exchange of spiritual goods among all the living members of the Body of Christ, whether still on pilgrimage or already in the heavenly homeland: Cf. LG 48-50.

It must be recalled that . . . this reconciliation with God leads, as it were, to other reconciliations, which repair the other breaches caused by sin. the forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his inmost being, where he regains his innermost truth. He is reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way offended and wounded. He is reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation. John Paul II, RP 31, 5.

1470

In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom, from which one is excluded by grave sin. Cf. 1 Cor 5:11; Gal 5:19-21; Rev 22:15. In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and "does not come into judgment." Jn 5:24.

2272

Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae," CIC, can. 1398. "by the very commission of the offense," CIC, can. 1314. and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324. The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

1463

Certain particularly grave sins incur excommunication, the most severe ecclesiastical penalty, which impedes the reception of the sacraments and the exercise of certain ecclesiastical acts, and for which absolution consequently cannot be granted, according to canon law, except by the Pope, the bishop of the place or priests authorized by them. Cf. CIC, cann. 1331; 1354-1357; CCEO — Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches), can. 1431; 1434; 1420. In danger of death any priest, even if deprived of faculties for hearing confessions, can absolve from every sin and excommunication. Cf. CIC, can. 976; CCEO — Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches), can. 725.

1357

§ 1. Without prejudice to the provisions of cann. 508 and 976, a confessor can in the internal sacramental forum remit a latae sententiae censure of excommunication or interdict which has not been declared, if it is difficult for the penitent to remain in a state of grave sin for the time necessary for the competent Superior to provide.

§ 2. In granting the remission, the confessor is to impose upon the penitent, under pain of again incurring the censure, the obligation to have recourse within one month to the competent Superior or to a priest having the requisite faculty, and to abide by his instructions. In the meantime, the confessor is to impose an appropriate penance and, to the extent demanded, to require reparation of scandal and harm. The recourse, however, may be made even through the confessor, without mention of a name.

§ 3. The same duty of recourse, when the danger has ceased, binds those who in accordance with can. 976 have had remitted an imposed or declared censure or one reserved to the Holy See.

Evangelium Vitae Mar 25, 1995

From the Catechism

In the Code

From the Magisterium