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Anonymous Repentant Anna
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
- I have committed the sin of abortion and would like to
know how to go about approaching a bishop to confess this
mortal sin?
If what I have read is correct, the only one
who can forgive this type of sin are bishops.
I'm currently living in [city/town hidden], [state
hidden] and I have an understanding priest in
our Catholic Church but I am so ashamed to ask him. I'd rather go to another Catholic Church or another religious
organization that helps sinners of abortion, like me.
I'm asking for your help! . . . and I'm also requesting that you make my posting confidential.
I don't wish to be identified.
God Bless you.
Anna
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{
How does a woman who has had an abortion go about approaching a bishop to confess this sin? }
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John
replied:
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Dear Anna —
Thank you so much for your question.
First and foremost you need to know that God loves
you and will forgive you, so before you worry about
getting absolution and the excommunication lifted
by a bishop, I'd recommend you ask God to forgive
you (assuming you haven't done so already).
The next thing is to go to your local priest.
While it does take the authority of a bishop to remove
the excommunication, this authority is usually delegated
to a local priest upon his request so go see or
make an appointment with a priest and start the process.
It usually takes a matter of a few days.
Until the authority from the bishop
has been granted to a priest, I believe there might be a canon under which a priest
may provisionally absolve you and remove the excommunication. You can ask the
priest if canon law 1357 can be applied in your case.
Here is the text of the canon. Just bring it to your appointment with him:
Canon 1357 §1. Without prejudice to the
prescripts of Cannon 508 and 976, a confessor can
remit in the internal sacramental forum an undeclared
latae sententiae censure of excommunication or
interdict if it is burdensome for the penitent
to remain in the state of grave sin during the
time necessary for the competent superior to make
provision.
§2. In granting the remission, the confessor
is to impose on the penitent, under the penalty
of reincidence, the obligation of making recourse
within a month to the competent superior or to
a priest endowed with the faculty and the obligation
of obeying his mandates; in the meantime he is
to impose a suitable penance and, insofar as it
is demanded, reparation of any scandal and damage;
however, recourse can also be made through the
confessor, without mention of the name. |
Along with a good Confession, you should inquire
if your archdiocese has post-abortion recovery program,
such as Project
Rachel. These programs are very beneficial
in helping you cope with the long-term effects of having
had an abortion.
Remember, you are loved by God, as well as us at
AskACatholic.com. If we can be of any further assistance
to you, please feel
free to write us.
Under His Mercy,
John DiMascio
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Anna
replied:
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John,
Thank you for taking time to answer my e-mail.
God bless you for saving my soul . . . for helping me
to find a way to resolve this issue, and to repent
of my sin of abortion.
Thank you so much! and . . . God Bless!
Anna
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John
replied:
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Dear Anna,
Only Jesus can save your soul. All we do at AskACatholic.com
is try to get you the right information. It is the
Holy Spirit that moved you to ask the question; it is the Holy Spirit that moved
you to repent.
That said, thank-you for the kind words. We
rejoice that a daughter of God has come home to her
Heavenly Father's house.
John D.
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Mike
replied:
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Dear Anna —
I just wanted to add to John's comments.
The Love of the Lord is everlasting. A previous
pastor of mine told us:
God loves us; He is madly in love with us, even when we are sinning,
He loves us.
Because he was a Man like us in all things except sin. He understands the forces
of temptation and of the devil. Remember, He was
tempted in the desert Himself!
Prayer is the key, I highly recommend that any woman
who has had an abortion learn to pray the Rosary.
Go to a local Catholic parish and ask for one.
If they don't have any, you can easily search on-line for a free Rosary that Catholic religious will mail to you for free.
Hope this helps,
Mike
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Anna —
Ma'am, most bishops have given their priests permission
to absolve the sin of abortion in Confession, so
you may go to any priest you wish.
I know you are suffering. If the abortion was recent,
please take care of yourself physically, and avoid
problems with sleep, food, and substance abuse.
Also be aware that the urge to get pregnant again
will be very strong around the time of the due date
of the child lost to abortion. It would be best if
you could contact your local Catholic post-abortion ministry.
Project Rachel has contacts and may be able to direct
you to other local chapters closer to where you currently
live. These web sites may help:
It is normal to feel relief immediately, then extreme
guilt. Confession will certainly bring you assured
forgiveness and much spiritual help, but recovery
is often blocked by unresolved issues such as:
- unresolved grief
- denial, and
- post-traumatic issues.
You have suffered a great wound to your soul, mind,
body, psyche, and relationships.
God can heal everything. Your child is praying for
you.
Mary Ann
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