text: This is somewhat misleading.  The issue was that abortion, or helping to procure one (yes, men can be held accountable for this to) incurred an automatic excommunication because the sin was so serious.  Excommunication can usually only be lifted by the bishop, although most bishops had allowed priests to lift the excommunication due to the prevalence of abortion.  The priest always had the power to forgive the sin, what some did not have (although most did) was the power to lift the excommunication.  For this the sinners had to appeal to the bishop in confession and they could still be forgiven.