On Tuesday, Pope Francis announced that all priests, during the upcoming Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, will have the authority to absolve the Catholic sin of abortion. Pope Francis’ offer is a bold one, but it’s not new — it simply widens a common Catholic practice.
Focusing solely on abortion misses the bigger picture: before the Pope even mentioned absolution for abortion, he specifically addressed groups of people who the Church and society marginalize: the sick, the elderly, the deceased, and the incarcerated.
