Pope Francis’s Stance On Abortion Receives Mixed Reactions; Women’s Rights Still Ignored?

Pope Francis is now allowing priests to absolve women who had an abortion as a part of the year-long celebration for the Catholic Church's "Jubilee Year of Mercy" starting this December, according to Time.

Abortion is considered a mortal sin in the eyes of the Church, entailing women who wanted absolution to confess to a Bishop. However, the pope has now extended that directive down to priests.

"I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal. I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision," the letter published by the Vatican read, adding that "forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father."

"For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it."

While other people found Pope Francis' stance on abortion commendable, there were still others who felt something lacking in the announcement.

Laura Bates from The Guardian thought that the Pope's offer is "overdue" but the modernisation of the Church doesn't seem to be moving at a proper speed.

"It is difficult to choose which aspect is more offensive to women: the assumption that abortion must always engender anguish and guilt; the all-male priesthood who will magnanimously pardon female transgressions; or the decision that this escape from excommunication will only be extended to those lucky sinners who come forward within the specified 11 1⁄2-month window," Bates pointed out.

In the same way, National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN) boldly asked the head of the Vatican to "sit down with us and other women and listen to what they are saying" because apparently, "he still doesn't get it."

"I think he gets it within the Vatican sense and about the hierarchy, but he still won't let women have full membership with the Catholic tradition. Women still don't have full membership," Sister Donna Quinn told The Independent.

Meanwhile, Catholics for Choice president Jon O'Brien does not believe that "Catholic women will be queuing up to ask for forgiveness" despite Pope Francis easing up on forgiveness rules for abortion.