Your Progressive Pope

[Content Note: Misogyny; anti-choicery.]

Once again, Pope Francis is getting all the plaudits for his progressivism, because he has said that maybe women who get abortions won't burn in eternal hellfire, if they're really, really sorry about it:

Pope Francis has opened the door for women who have received abortions—an act considered a grave sin by the Catholic church—to be absolved if they express contrition and seek forgiveness from their priest.

"The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented," the pontiff wrote in an extraordinary letter that was released by the Vatican on Tuesday.

...The letter will be seen as further evidence that Francis, the first Latin American pope, is approaching his papacy as a liberal-minded reformer and is seeking to reach out to Catholics who believe the church—and its usually uncompromising attitudes towards abortion, homosexuality and divorce—is out of touch with modern social views.

...In his letter, Francis said a "widespread and insensitive mentality" had led to the loss of proper personal and social sensitivity.

"The tragedy of abortion is experienced by some with a superficial awareness, as if not realising the extreme harm that such an act entails. Many others, on the other hand, although experiencing this moment as a defeat, believe that they have no other option," he wrote.

Listen, ladies (and men and nonbinary folks who need abortions, whom Pope Francis will never even acknowledge): It's not your fault. It's all the goddamn feminists and their insensitivity peddling who made you feel like it was okay to get an abortion, but it's not okay—it is a tragedy and you must repent for the extreme harm you've caused.

PROGRESSIVE POPE.

I get that this is a less terrible view than most other Catholic leaders espouse. But I really wish we could stop pretending that just because it's less terrible that it's progressive. Or "liberal-minded."

There are people who are genuinely progressive about abortion, abortion access, and abortion rights. A dude who says maybe people who get abortions can be forgiven if they're sufficiently repentant about it ain't one of 'em.