Does that mean that if a woman had an abortion and confessed it to a priest who had not been specifically appointed by the local Bishop to lift her excommunication, that her sin was never forgiven?
A. 3. That is correct! There have been many instances where priests did not realize that an abortion incurs an automatic excommunication. As such, while they may enjoy the authority to forgive sins, they do not have the authority to lift excommunications. Consequently, while a person is excommunicated, that person cannot validly receive any of the Sacraments, that including the Sacrament of Confession. (Exception: In danger of death any priest, even if deprived of faculties for hearing confessions, any priest can absolve from every sin and excommunication.) Q. 4. That being the case, most likely, a very large number of women never had their sin of abortion forgiven because they never had their excommunication lifted by their local Bishop or by a priest appointed by the local Bishop to do so. A. 4. I agree with that. Most likely, less than 25% of Catholics who had an abortion, participated in one, or supported an abortion, actually had their sins forgiven because they did not observe th
Related Questions
- Does that mean that if a woman had an abortion and confessed it to a priest who had not been specifically appointed by the local Bishop to lift her excommunication, that her sin was never forgiven?
- Can a woman be ordained a bishop, priest or deacon in the Episcopal Church?
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