Cardinal Dolan welcomes papal statement on abortion and confession

Cardinal Timothy Dolan has welcomed Pope Francis’s statement in the apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera that “I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion.”

“The Holy Father reminds us that God, the Father of Mercies, welcomes all those who are repentant, seeking mercy and peace after involvement in abortion said Cardinal Dolan, who serves as chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

He noted that “for many years in the United States, most bishops have granted their priests this faculty.”