Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, speaking to reporters about the Pope's upcoming visit to the United States at a Monitor hosted breakfast in Washington Wednesday.(Photo: Michael Bonfigli, Christian Science Monitor)

WASHINGTON — Pope Francis' letter this week granting priests the ability to forgive women who have had abortions won't change the way the sacrament of reconciliation is granted in the Archdiocese of Washington, or in many other dioceses across the United States, Cardinal Donald Wuerl said Wednesday.

That's because those dioceses have already given priests that power, which had been historically reserved for the bishop because of the seriousness of the sin. But Wuerl, who will be hosting the pope on his visit to Washington Sept. 22 to Sept. 24, said the letter is nonetheless an important part of the pope's message of mercy.

"We have granted the faculty. Many, many places have already granted the faculty," said Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington and one of four cardinal archbishops in the United States. "The idea is that the mercy should be as readily available as possible."

Francis' pastoral letter Tuesday simply made that practice universal throughout the church for a "Year of Mercy" when the new liturgical year begins this Advent, Wuerl said.

The new policy, dictated in a letter released by the Vatican Tuesday, is typical of Francis' approach to sensitive issues like divorce, abortion and homosexuality, Wuerl said. Fundamental church teaching isn't changing, but the way the church responds to those issues is.

While abortion remains a grave sin in Catholic teaching, Wuerl said Francis' message is, "How do we deal with someone who has had an abortion, and is the response one of love, compassion, care?"

"He keeps reminding us that we all need the embrace of God's mercy," he said.

Wuerl spoke to reporters Wednesday at a breakfast in Washington just a few blocks from the White House, where the pope is scheduled to visit this month on a three-city tour of the United States. Wuerl said Francis' will likely take a pastoral approach to issues even as he speaks privately to President Obama and publicly to Congress.

"I do know that this Holy Father seems to be comfortable taking any forum and podium, any platform, any pulpit, and he doesn’t seem to be molded by the audience. He takes his message and presents it in the hope that the audience hears his message," Wuerl said.

Subjects like abortion, immigration, and the environment are likely to come up, but don't expect Francis to lobby Congress to pass specific legislation.

"I think what our Holy Father will be doing is addressing issues. Public policy is one way of responding to issues. But another way of dealing with issues is to put them in a spiritual and pastoral dimension," Wuerl said. "And I think he's going to try to evoke from all of us the understanding that we all have a responsibility for each other, and for our common home."

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