UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
Jamie Manson | Sep. 11, 2015
A little over a week ago when Pope Francis announced that all Roman Catholic priests will be given the power to absolve women from “the sin of abortion” during the Holy Year of Mercy, some Catholics declared it as another win for church reform and renewal.
“I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision,” Francis said. “What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope.”
In the wake of the announcement, several critiques of the pontiff’s words have been published in major media outlets. One of the most compelling pieces comes from Karen Barbato, posted the website of Cosmopolitan magazine. …
Barbato says that she and many other Catholic women do not feel that they need forgiveness for their decision to have an abortion. She points to several studies that suggest that very often it isn’t the abortion that causes women emotional distress, but rather “perceptions of stigma, need for secrecy, and low or anticipated social support for [their] decision.” …
An op-ed in the New York Times this week by lawyer and journalist Jill Filipovic expands on Barbato’s point.
Filipovic concedes that some women do feel regret and guilt about their abortion.
“But,” she writes, “women primarily feel guilty when they experience stigma and a lack of support for their choice. In telling women that they can be forgiven during this one year, the pope plays on the ambivalence and embarrassment that can come from silence around abortion.”
Filipovic also analyzes how the pope’s decision plays into the larger strategy of the anti-abortion movement:
“While the pope’s announcement has been hailed as evidence of the church’s new, softer approach, it’s actually the latest example of the modern anti-abortion strategy: Portray women as victims who need to be protected from themselves with laws that restrict abortion rights.”
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