ize ▁those ▁children . ▁During ▁a ▁Bapt ism ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ▁Mass ▁in ▁the ▁S ist ine ▁Chap el , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁bapt ised ▁the ▁baby ▁of ▁a ▁couple ▁in ▁a ▁civil ▁marriage . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Ext ra ordinary ▁J ub ile e ▁of ▁Mer cy , ▁Francis ▁" gr ant ▁to ▁all ▁pri ests , ▁in ▁virtue ▁of ▁their ▁min istry , ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁to ▁absol ve ▁those ▁who ▁have ▁committed ▁the ▁sin ▁of ▁proc ured ▁abort ion ", ▁a ▁provision ▁which ▁he ▁extended ▁in def initely ▁in ▁his ▁Apost ol ic ▁Let ter ▁M iser ic ord ia ▁et ▁Mis era ▁issued ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁Francis ▁appe aled ▁to ▁all ▁pri ests ▁to ▁grant ▁forg iveness ▁to ▁women ▁who ▁had ▁under g one ▁an ▁abort ion , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁anyone ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁comple ting ▁the ▁procedure . ▁While ▁Francis ▁re iter ated ▁that ▁the ▁sin ▁of ▁abort ion ▁( an ▁act ▁pun ish able ▁with ▁automatic ▁ex communic ation ) ▁is ▁" a ▁grave ▁sin ", ▁he ▁aff ir med ▁that ▁" there ▁is ▁no ▁sin ▁that ▁God ' s ▁mer cy ▁cannot ▁reach ▁and ▁w ipe ▁away ▁when ▁it ▁finds ▁a ▁rep ent ant ▁heart ." ▁ ▁Kate ▁D ' An n un z io , ▁of ▁Rach el ' s ▁V ine yard , ▁an ▁anti - ab ort ion ▁group ▁which ▁minister s ▁to ▁women ▁who ▁have ▁experienced ▁abort ions , ▁said ▁that ▁Francis