Priests and the Pastoral Management of Abortion

This chapter focuses on the pastoral management of abortion by priests in their communities, particularly situations where parishioners raised the issue of abortion. We will detail how priests were keen to demonstrate to the interviewer their commitment to Vatican rules and expectations. But this could lead to tensions, especially when the pastoral response as endorsed by the Vatican did not work in practice. The chapter will discuss the various narrative themes detected within the priests’ accounts, starting with their preparedness for abortion discussions in a context where individual abortion stories were rarely brought to their attention. We will then focus on the influence of anti-abortion discourse on how priests interpreted abortion stories, which was especially relevant for clergy directly involved in the anti-abortion movement. Finally, we will consider the role of Vatican discourse on decision-making processes, looking at two aspects: pastorally managing a mortal sin and the role that the confessional played in absolving abortion.