VOA慢速英语 Pope Allows Priests to Forgive 'Sin of Abortion'

AS IT IS 2015-09-03 Pope Allows Priests to Forgive 'Sin of Abortion¹'

Pope Francis is calling his priests to forgive women of the “sin of abortion” during the upcoming “Holy Year of Mercy.”

The Pope guides more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide. He released a letter Tuesday saying many women have told him of the pain when ending a pregnancy². He wrote many women agonized³ and told him “that they [had] no other option."

The Pope, or pontiff, wrote he has "met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing⁴ and painful decision."

Rosemary (Farfan) is a single mother with two children. The Los Angeles woman spoke⁵ with the pontiff during a video link-up from ABC News. She said “It hasn't been easy for me. I've made some mistakes as a person, as a mother…I've felt guilty at times and ashamed.”

In reply, Pope Francis told her, “I know that people can sometimes look askance at you. You're a brave woman because you're capable of bringing these two daughters into the world. ... You respected the life you were carrying inside you and God is going to reward you for that and he does reward for you for that. Don't be ashamed. ... I congratulate you."

The Roman Catholic Church remains⁶ opposed to abortion. Traditionally, the Catholic Church has viewed abortion as a serious sin, punished by excommunication. Women have been expelled from the Church and condemned⁷ to hell in the afterlife.

The forgiveness allows women to continue to practice their Catholic faith in a formal manner. They can receive sacraments, like Holy Communion, and participate in church ceremonies.

Conservative Catholics are concerned about Pope Francis, an Argentinian, taking a more gentle approach than earlier popes. Father Frank Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life. Father Pavone released a statement welcoming “the Church’s eagerness to reconcile those who have had abortions⁸.” He added that, “To treat someone with compassion⁹ includes sharing with them honestly the truth they need to hear, and to be fully¹⁰ truthful¹¹ includes revealing the reality of compassion and mercy.”

Father Federico Lombardi is the Vatican chief spokesman. He has this to say on the letter from the pontiff, "This is by no means an attempt to minimize the gravity of this sin, but to widen the possibility of showing mercy.”

The forgiveness begins December 8 in the church’s "Holy Year of Mercy." Pope Francis said if someone repents¹², God will forgive them. That is why he gave priests the power to absolve¹³ this sin.

In a 2013 address in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, the Pope gave a message about mercy.

“A little mercy makes the world less cold and more just,” the Pope said. “We need to understand properly this mercy of God, this merciful Father, who is so patient.”

Words in This Story

agonized -- v. to worry or experience great sorrow

pontiff – n. another name for a pope, or top leader of the Roman Catholic church

askance - adv. in a way that shows a lack of approval

excommunication – v. to cast out from a religious group

expelled – v. to cast out

exempt¹⁴ – n. to be outside a group

sacraments – n. holy practice in the church

Holy Communion – n. a practice or service in Christianity where bread and wine are shared

1 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

2 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

3 agonized   

v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦

参考例句：

• All the time they agonized and prayed. 他们一直在忍受痛苦并且祈祷。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She agonized herself with the thought of her loss. 她念念不忘自己的损失，深深陷入痛苦之中。 来自辞典例句

4 agonizing   

adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式)

参考例句：

• I spent days agonizing over whether to take the job or not. 我用了好些天苦苦思考是否接受这个工作。
• his father's agonizing death 他父亲极度痛苦的死

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

8 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

9 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

12 repents   

对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• God welcomes the sinner who repents. 上帝欢迎悔过的罪人。
• He repents him of the evil. 他对罪恶感到后悔。

13 absolve   

v.赦免，解除（责任等）

参考例句：

• I absolve you,on the ground of invincible ignorance.鉴于你不可救药的无知，我原谅你。
• They agree to absolve you from your obligation.他们同意免除你的责任。

14 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。