Pope Francis released a letter Monday saying priests can now forgive the sin of abortion, CNN reports. Previously, only bishops could forgive abortion.
The pope didn’t go so far as to say abortion is okay—the letter states that “abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life.” But it goes on to say that no sin is too big to be forgiven.
According to The New York Times, Catholics who have abortions can be excommunicated unless they confess to the sin and are absolved.
The Associated Press reports that Monsignor Rino Fisichella, a Catholic official, said that forgiveness for an abortion extends to all the people who were involved in the abortion, including doctors and nurses.
Research shows that access to safe, legal abortion benefits women and their families in several ways—it helps women stay healthy, keeps them out of poverty and on track to following their career dreams, and improves the lives of the children they already have. The vast majority of women who have abortions do not regret having the procedure. Most important of all? Access to abortion means women have full control over their own bodies and futures—and that should be a fundamental human right.