Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.September 01, 2015

Editors Note, Feb. 25, 2019: America has become aware that this article included extensive unattributed material from other sources. Accordingly, we have removed the text. For more material on this topic, read the original report from Catholic News Service, "Pope Francis For Year of Mercy, Pope Francis extends possibilities for absolution.”

A Feb. 22 story in the National Post of Canada documented multiple cases in which Father Rosica used material from other authors without providing proper citations. “What I’ve done is wrong, and I am sorry about that," Father Rosica told the Post.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Tim O'Leary
9 years 8 months ago
What a truly beautiful description of authentic reconciliation from St. JP II! Thanks for reminding us of his eloquence and sanctity. That Pope Francis would specifically identify this sin as one called out to be in need of the mercy of this year is a great reminder of how grave the sin is. But, I wonder if the Holy Father also intended, by not mentioning it, that this avenue of mercy has not been extended to those who have performed an abortion, or to those who have supported an abortion, either through money, providing logistic assistance or supporting pro-abortion groups with money or votes, etc.
Lisa Weber
8 years 6 months ago
This is a good article. I often wish the church would give more thought to preventing abortions by considering the factors that sway a woman toward the decision to have an abortion. We often act like abortion is an isolated decision by a sinful woman, when it is more often the final act in a long story. We will have difficulty taking more effective action to prevent abortion because we cannot even have a dialogue about the subject. One factor in our lack of dialogue is that women are not allowed to speak in the Church.

The latest from america

Pope Leo's quotation of Augustine after his election contains within it an important theological point about the nature of the episcopacy. The quotation signals Leo XIV’s approach to his role as bishop of Rome.
Volunteers serve food provided by the Emergency Assistance Department of Chicago Catholic Charities on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (OSV News photo/Jim Young, Reuters)
Despite widespread food insecurity, federal nutrition programs are under threat. The Catholic Church must step up its campaign against hunger at both the parish and national levels.
Bianca BlancheMay 27, 2025
Pressure on state legislatures to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms has only increased in recent years. What is usually forgotten, however, is that the Bible itself contains the most powerful argument against making the Ten Commandments a moral guide for all citizens.
Pope Leo XIV and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri shake hands after exchanging remarks in Aracoeli Square in Rome May 25, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
It was a truly hectic Sunday, May 25, for the American-born pope, as he visited the two major basilicas: St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major, and met with the mayor of Rome.
Gerard O’ConnellMay 25, 2025