▁had ▁clar ified ▁that ▁pri ests ▁have ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁both ▁forg ive ▁abort ions ▁and ▁welcome ▁women ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁church , ▁stating ; ▁" The ▁Church ▁has ▁had ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁forg ive ▁these ▁women , ▁but ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁women ▁had ▁difficulty ▁forg iving ▁themselves . ▁This ▁out re ach ▁by ▁the ▁Pope ▁is ▁saying ▁' Don ' t ▁isol ate ▁your selves , ▁come ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁church .' " ▁Jon ▁O ' B rien , ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁U . S . ▁pro - ab ort ion ▁rights ▁Catholic ▁diss ident ▁advoc acy ▁group ▁C athol ics ▁for ▁Cho ice , ▁pra ised ▁the ▁po pe ' s ▁effort , ▁and ▁said ▁" it ▁showed ▁that ▁Francis ▁understood ▁the ▁deep ▁ch asm ▁that ▁exists ▁between ▁ordinary ▁C athol ics ▁ ▁who ▁turn ▁to ▁abort ion ▁and ▁birth ▁control ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁frequency ▁as ▁people ▁of ▁other ▁faith s ▁ ▁and ▁their ▁cler gy ." ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁Church ▁ ▁Francis ▁has ▁often ▁spoken ▁about ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁He ▁cons iders ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁special ▁role ▁in ▁spread ing ▁the ▁faith ▁to ▁their ▁children ▁and ▁grand children . ▁He ▁also ▁cons iders ▁that , ▁although ▁the ▁first ▁witness es ▁of ▁the ▁res urre ction ▁of ▁Jesus ▁were ▁women , ▁their ▁significance ▁was ▁ignored ▁because ▁in ▁Jewish ▁law , ▁only ▁males ▁are ▁cred ible ▁witness es . ▁ ▁Francis ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁commission ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁ord