Pro compassion

Religion can provide community and build character, it can show compassion and it can condemn. Earlier this week, by allowing all Catholic priests to forgive the “reserved sin” of abortion — a power that previously rested, theoretically at least, with the higher clergy within the Roman Catholic church — Pope Francis has interpreted church dogma in a way that keeps it relevant to a changing world. To be sure, abortion is still a “grave sin” for the church, as its critics have been quick to point out. However, the idea of mercy — the Pope’s favourite religious metaphor — has now tempered one of his church’s most contentious doctrines.

The Catholic church has been facing a crisis of credibility over the last few decades, particularly in the wake of repeated incidents of child abuse by its clergy and the alleged complicity of the church in maintaining a culture of silence and impunity. Pope Francis, more than his recent predecessors, has managed to interpret religious tenets that were beginning to seem anachronistic. He re-interpreted Creationism as a call to respect the environment and act against climate change. He has used the 10 commandments and the idea of mercy to come out against capital punishment. And as an extension of the “meek shall inherit the earth”, he has spoken out against income inequality.

The rights of women over their own bodies, including abortion, has been a contentious issue. In the US, there are fears that Roe v. Wade, a judgement which provides the right to abortion, will be overturned in the wake of the Trump victory. Ireland has had its own share of tragedies — including the death of Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year old dentist who was denied an abortion which could have saved her life. Pope Francis has not changed church dogma. But he has signalled that religious women who make a tough choice deserve compassion, not condemnation.