Seven years ago, I had an abortion. As a 20-year-old senior in college, I did not hesitate to end my pregnancy — it was the right decision for several deeply intimate reasons.

As a Catholic woman, however, I also knew that my faith considered my abortion a grave violation. In the years since, I have wanted to call the church my home, but wasn’t sure if it would ever accept me.

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Those feelings of dread and doubt receded instantly on Tuesday when Pope Francis announced that he is empowering priests to forgive Catholic women who have had an abortion. The absolution, as it’s formally called, can be extended to women who seek forgiveness with a “contrite heart” during the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy, which begins Dec. 8.

It is a profound gesture, and one that has started yet another debate about Francis’ lasting influence on Catholicism. Some feel he’s ushering in a new, more compassionate brand of Catholicism, while others insist he’s a more loving face representing Catholic dogma.

When everything falls apart, only one thing sustains our hope: God loves us, he loves everyone! — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 17, 2015

Although his words do not fully resonate with my abortion experience or my feelings seven years later, his tone and message give me hope. For many non-Catholics, the idea of asking for forgiveness from a priest may seem foreign and oppressive. But to me, it feels like freedom.

I am what you call a “cradle Catholic.” I was born to Catholic parents who came from Catholic families. This means that I grew up with nightly Our Fathers and holy water in the house. It also means that there was a priest present at many of the most significant moments in my life, spiritual or secular.

For me, priests have always been trusted counselors — men who knew my family, friends and community, and who provided guidance and support during times of celebration and grief.

In Confession, Jesus welcomes us with all our sinfulness, to give us a new heart, capable of loving as he loves. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 25, 2015

While I was aware of the Church’s position on abortion, I trusted my decision. As I sat in the clinic waiting room filling out paperwork, I stopped briefly at a question about religious affiliation. I remember checking “other” rather than “Catholic.” At the time I reasoned that it was because I no longer attended Mass. In retrospect, I think I subconsciously realized that this decision, confident as I was in it, would complicate any future desire to return home to the church.

Not long after having the abortion, I felt drawn back to my faith. For years I privately explored this calling by studying theology and engaging in late-night discernment, or more simply put: wrestling with church teachings and my own lived experiences. Eventually I silently recited prayers and occasionally attended Mass, sitting in the very back pew.

Finally, I did come home, both literally and spiritually. I moved back to my hometown, and asked for a meeting with my parents' priest. It took place in his office, and not a confessional; it was a discussion, not an interrogation. When I talked about my abortion, my story was heard, and not debated. We talked without politics or posturing or shaming or lecturing.

On the following Sunday I attended Mass. If I had followed church protocol for receiving Reconciliation and Absolution, I would have scheduled a meeting and driven for hours across the state to ask forgiveness from a bishop. Instead, that priest I confided in gave me Holy Communion. Since then I’ve attended Mass, participated in parish events, read scripture during weddings and am currently preparing to partake in the sacrament of marriage myself.

The Church is a mother with an open heart, ready to help all people, especially those who try the hardest — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 27, 2015

It’s for this reason that I’m choosing to write this anonymously. While abortion is common — one-third of women in the U.S. have the procedure — stigma still burdens women in the secular world. In the Catholic community, that stigma is oppressive.

I grew up hearing all sorts of mythology from parishioners about our faith and abortion; that it was an “unforgivable sin”; that it condemned you to hell; that you are automatically excommunicated and no longer “Catholic.”

Unfortunately, those misconceptions are common, and while I am at peace with my standing before God, the church as a community is still rather uneasy about fully accepting and loving those of us who have had abortions.

As many critics have pointed out, it is already the case that a bishop can give a priest the authority to absolve a woman and bring her back into full communion with the church.

Yet the public statement that all priests may do so without seeking the approval of their bishops sends an important message to the Catholic faithful: A priest — the same person involved in your spiritual life from baptism to burial — can be your shepherd when it comes to abortion as well.

I hope this will lie to rest the many myths and uncertainties that often accompany being a Catholic woman who has had an abortion. My abortion makes me no less Catholic than any other parishioner’s sins, because the same forgiveness is available.

We are all sinners. Let us be transformed by God’s mercy. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) August 8, 2015

I remember the feeling after my first confession when my biggest “sin” was being easily frustrated with my little sister. Giving voice to that failure, talking it over with someone I trusted, and being reminded of God’s love, understanding and forgiveness, was an act that gave me a clear conscience and a redemptive path forward.

This ritual holds deep and profound meaning and I am grateful that the pope has chosen to remind Catholics that they can seek out absolution, and that they can receive it fully from the priest that they know and trust. Pope Francis’ statement is a powerful reminder that nothing should separate you from God’s love and his church.