"Fathers of unwanted babies should also seek forgiveness": Letter to the Editor in Plain Dealer by Mary Collingwood, ARCWP

http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2015/09/church_letter_to_the_editor_2.html

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By Other Voices 
on September 10, 2015 at 11:41 AM, updated September 10, 2015 at 11:42 AM

Regarding the Sept. 2 front page article, 
"Pope: Any priest can absolve 'sin of abortion' in Year of Mercy,"
 Pope Francis holds a "blue light special" on forgiving women for aborting their babies for a year, but nothing is ever said about who fathered those babies, or what circumstances forced them to make excruciating decisions. No, it's always the woman who must seek the forgiveness -- no one blames the fathers, or the lack of social services or support that is so desperately needed. The only person held culpable is the woman in the Church's current view. And our humble, good-natured Pope is gallantly offering them forgiveness in this short window of grace.
If the Church would embrace contraception and recognize women have agency over their decisions in this regard, it would begin to heal the wounds of injustice toward women across the globe. It is my calling as a woman and as a priest to make those injustices heard in our church. Seeing these injustices calls me to act, and remains one of the great challenges of my faith.
Mary E. Collingwood,
Hudson
Collingwood is Bishop-Elect of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests and past director of the Pro Life Office of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.