Presentation Group Abortion in Fathers of Church

Members of group:
1. Tran Ngoc Lam (200510091) 3. Doni Xaverius (200510027)

2. Setiaman Zega (200510085) 4. Torkis Siahaan (200510090)
Class : III B
Subject : Patrology
Professor : Sihol Situmorang, Lic. S. Th.
PROHIBITION OF ABORTION
IN THE CHURCH FATHERS’ WRITINGS
I. INTRODUCTION
The Christian faith has always rejected abortion as a grave evil. Writings from the
first century onward condemn it as murder. 1 In 1995 Pope John Paul II declared that the
Church’s teaching on abortion “is unchanged and unchangeable. Therefore, by the authority
which Christ conferred upon Peter and his successors . . . I declare that direct abortion, that is,
abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is
the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law
and upon the written word of God, is transmitted by the Church’s tradition, and is taught by
the ordinary and universal magisterium. No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can
ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the law of God which
is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church”
(Evangelium Vitae 62). The early Church Fathers agreed. Fortunately, abortion, like all sins,
is forgivable; and forgiveness is as close as the nearest confessional. 2
II. PROHIBITION OF ABORTION
1. Abortion
1.1. An issue of morality
What determines when a being is human? When is it lawful to kill? These questions
are linked to any consideration of morality. They are questions central to any morality for man.
The teaching of abortion in its totality cannot be detached from the religious tradition which
has borne it. The teaching in its fundamental questions about the meaning of love and humanity
cannot be disregarded by those who would meet the needs of man humanly. 3
i. In the Mediterranean world
In the Mediterranean world in which Christianity appeared, abortion was a familiar
art. The most learned of Greco-Roman gynecologists, Soranos of Ephesus (c. 98-138 A.D.),
discussed abortion in terms of two main genres of abortifacients, phthorion, “which destroys
what has been conceived,” and ekbolion, “which expels what has been conceived.” He then
listed the following ways of achieving the destruction of the embryo: purging the abdomen
with clysters; walking about vigorously; carrying things beyond one’s strength; bathing in
Jimmy Akin, The Fathers Know Best – Your Essential Guide to The Teachings of the Early Church
1
(San Diego: Catholic Answers: 2010), p. 193.

2
Jimmy Akin, The Fathers Know Best … p. 193.
3
John T. Noonan Jr., “Abortion and the Catholic Church: A Summary History” in Natural Law Forum,
1967, paper 126, p. 85.
sweet water which is not too hot; bathing in decoctions of linseed, mallow, and wormwood;
applying poultices of the same decoctions; injecting warm and sweet olive oil; being bled and
then shaken after softening by suppositories. 4 In addition, he lists a number of contraceptives
(atokia) that will also operate as abortifacients, in particular drugs composed of plant mixtures.
These drugs will apparently operate at an early stage of the pregnancy if they have failed to
prevent contraception; the abortifacients proper are intended for later stages of fetal life. As to
the effectiveness of the means proposed, Soranos notes that contraception is surer and therefore
to be preferred, but it would seem that some if not all of the abortifacient methods he proposes
would have achieved the desired effect. 5
Abortion, indeed, was practiced very generally in the Greco-Roman world. The
law of the empire punished abortion committed without the father’s consent. The object of the
law was not to protect the embryo as a human person, for it was regarded as part of the mother.
As pagan observations and Christian complaints indicated, parents’ freedom to dispose of their
young offspring was taken for granted by the empire. 6
The teaching on abortion East and West had been set out for four centuries with
clarity and substantial consistency. There was a distinction accepted by some as to the
unformed embryo, some consequent variation in the analysis of the sin, and local differences
in the penance necessary to expiate it. The sin itself was often associated with lechery,
sometimes with marriage. The usual method of accomplishing it was by drugs, sometimes
associated with magic, sometimes with danger to the user. The motive animating it was seen
variously as shame, as avarice, and lust. Although therapeutic and social reasons for abortion
were known by the best of doctors and philosophers, these reasons were never mentioned as
justification. All the writers agreed that abortion was a violation of the love owed to one's
neighbor. Some saw it as a special failure of maternal love. Many saw it also as a failure to
have reverence for the work of God the creator. The culture had accepted abortion. The
Christians, men of this Greco-Roman world, and the Gospel condemned it. Ancient authorities
and contemporary moralists had approved, hesitated, and made exceptions; the Christian rule
was certain. 7
ii. Reasons
The reasons for abortion were as various as the means. Soranos notes three: to
conceal the consequences of adultery; to maintain feminine beauty; to avoid danger to the
mother when her uterus is too small to accommodate the full embryo. Plato and Aristotle
thought of abortion as a way of preventing excess population. St. Ambrose was familiar with
propertied families who practiced it in order not to divide their patrimony among too many
children. 8
iii. Views of physicians and philosophers
The morality of practicing abortion was debated by physicians, philosophers, and
religious teachers. The Hippocratic Oath is well known for its pledge “not to give a deadly
4
John T. Noonan Jr., “Abortion and the Catholic Church: A Summary History” … p. 86.
5
6
7
8
drug [pharmakon] to anyone if asked for it, nor to suggest it. Similarly, I will not give to a
woman an abortifacient pessary.” Influenced by the authority attributed to the oath as the work
of Hippocrates, some physicians of the first century A.D. refused to prescribe abortifacients
for anyone. Soranos himself, prescribed abortion only where completion of the pregnancy
would endanger the mother. In Plato’s Republic, abortion is proposed as a solution to prevent
endangering the optimum population of the state. Aristotle also proposes abortion if a couple
has too many children for the good of the state, but he does so with remarkable caution, saying
it is to be done before there is “sensation and life,” a restriction which in his biology might
have permitted only contraception. 9
1.2. Definition
Induced abortion (as opposed to spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage) is the
deliberate termination of a pregnancy through the destruction and/or removal of the embryo or
fetus. 10
2. Biblical source
2.1. Biblical Principles and Teachings Relating to Abortion
i. God upholds the value and sacredness of human life
Human life is of the greatest value to God. Having created humanity in His image
(Gen. 1:27; 2:7), God has a personal interest in people. God loves them and communicates with
them, and they in turn can love and communicate with Him. Life is a gift of God, and God is
the Giver of life. In Jesus is life (John 1:4). He has life in Himself (Jn. 5:26). He is the
resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25; 14:6). He provides abundant life (Jn. 10:10). Those who
have the Son have life (1 Jn. 5:12). He is also the Sustainer of life (Acts 17:25-1 28; Col. 1:17;
Heb. 1:1-3), and the Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2). God cares deeply
for His creation and especially for humankind.
ii. God considers the unborn child as human life
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I
consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). “When He who had
set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased”
(Gal. 1:15). The Bible already attributes to the unborn child joy (Lk. 1:44) and even rivalry
(Gen. 28 25:21-23). Those not-yet-born have a firm place with God (Job 10:8-12; 31:13-15).
Biblical law shows a strong regard for protecting human life and considers harm to or the loss
of a baby or mother as a result of a violent act a serious issue (Ex. 21:22-23) which is analyzed
in the following part.
iii. The will of God regarding human life is expressed in the Ten
Commandments and explained by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount
The Psalmist (Ps. 119) and Paul called human life is holy, righteous, and good
(Rom. 7:12). The principle to preserve life enshrined in the sixth commandment places abortion
within its scope. Jesus reinforced the commandment not to kill in Matthew 5:21-22. Life is
9
10
Joel B. Green (Ed.), Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011), p. 35.
protected by God. Personhood, human value, and salvation are not earned or merited but
graciously granted by God himself.
iv. God is the Owner of life, and human beings are His stewards
Scripture teaches that God owns everything (Ps. 50:10-12). God has a dual claim
on humans. They are His because He is their Creator and therefore, He owns them (Ps. 139:13-
16). They are also His because He is their Redeemer and has bought them with the highest
possible price: His own life (1 Cor. 6:19-20). This means that all human beings are stewards
of whatever God has entrusted to them, including their own lives, the lives of their children,
and the unborn.
v. The Bible teaches care for the weak and the vulnerable
God himself cares for the weak people, such as the fatherless and the widow, the
stranger… (cf. Ps. 82:3-4; Jm. 1:27). He does not hold children accountable for the sins of their
fathers (Ez. 18:20). God expects the same of His children. They are called to help vulnerable
people and ease their lot (Ps. 41:1; 82:3-4; Acts 20:35). Jesus speaks of the least of His brothers
(Matthew 25:40), for whom His followers are responsible, and of the little ones who should
not be despised or lost (Matt. 18:10-14). The very youngest, namely the unborn, should be
counted among them.
2.2. Some special biblical text related to abortion
Some Fathers pointed in particular to this passage from Exodus: “If men who are
fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [Hebrew: ‘so that her child
comes out’], but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s
husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for
life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Ex 21:22–24). 11 In fact, the Old
Testament has nothing to say on abortion, but Hellenic Jews of the diaspora developed an
opinion. The Septuagint translation of Exodus 21:22 provided an opportunity. Where the
Hebrew had said that where a man accidentally causes an abortion “life is given for life” only
if the mother dies, the Greek read “life is given for life” if the embryo is “formed” so that an
express penalty was provided for the abortion. In his commentary, Philo himself associated
abortion with infanticide and the abandonment of children, practices of inhumanity. 12
In the New Testament and the Early Community, the Christian valuation of life
was made in view of the commandment of love: “love God with all your heart” and “love your
neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:40, cf. Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18); the sacrifice of one man’s life
for another (Jn. 15:13), and embodied in the self-sacrifice of Jesus (cf. Jn. 15:32). The place of
children in the Christian community was broadly established in the words of the Lord: “do not
prevent them from coming to me” (Matt. 19:14). In Luke 18:15, the children the Lord
welcomed was expressly described as “newborn babies” (brephe). Moreover, the valuation of
a community sensitive to the living character of the embryo is the reflection on biblical
narratives of Mary who was described as having in her womb what was “from the Holy Spirit”,
and was greeted in pregnancy by Elizabeth “as the fruit” of her womb was then described as
11
12
John T. Noonan Jr., “Abortion and the Catholic Church: A Summary History” … pp. 87-88.
“blessed” (Lk. 1:42). The infant (brephos) in Elizabeth’s womb “leaps” when she is greeted by
Mary (Lk. 1:40) as an expression of the behavior of the child of Elizabeth. 13
The apostle Paul denounced the foolish carnality of the Christian community in
Galatia, reminding them that there was a law that was fulfilled in one word, “Love your
neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14), and set out specific types of behavior which violated this law
of love (Gal. 5:19-21). The works of the flesh included not only “lecheries” and “wraths” but
pharmakeia (Gal. 5:20). Pharmakeia is a term best translated as “medicine” or “drugs” for a
variety of purposes, including, in particular, contraception or abortion. 14
Another passage worth bearing in mind is James 2:26, which says that “the body
without the spirit is dead.” The soul is the life principle of the body, which makes it alive. Since
from the time of conception, the child’s body is alive (as shown by the fact it is growing), the
unborn child must already have its soul. 15
3. Teaching of Fathers of Church

3.1. Didache (1st Century)
i. Historical context
Didache is an abbreviation of Didake ton dodeka apostolon. Didache is the legacy
of the apostles or God's teachings to the nations through the apostles. For this reason, some of
the Church Fathers said that the Didache was an important writing after the Scriptures.
However, there is no explicit evidence that these writings were written by the apostles. Based
on the style of language and writing, it is estimated that the Didache was written in 50-150 in
Syria (Antioch) by a Jewish Christian writer. 16
ii. Text
And the second commandment of the teaching: You shall not commit murder, you
shall not commit adultery [Ex 20:13–14], you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not commit
fornication, you shall not steal [Ex 20:15], you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice
witchcraft (medicine – pharmakeia), you shall not murder a child by abortion (phthora) nor
kill what is begotten. You shall not covet the things of your neighbor [Ex 20:17], you shall not
forswear yourself [Mt 5:34], you shall not bear false witness [Ex 20:16] [Didache 2:2 (c. A.D.
50)]. 17
iii. Exploration
In this list of related sins, one sentence expressly prohibited abortifacients. The
commands on either side of this sentence dealt with other aspects of the same sin, as the
commandments on sexual sins complemented each other. Abortion was ranked as a principal
sin included with those sins expressly named by the Ten Commandments.
13
14
15
16
Johannes Quasten, Patrology (Westminster: Christian Classics, 1986), p. 29.
17
Following the description of the Main Law, there is the sentence ‘prohibition’,
namely “not” or you shall not if you follow the Septuagint translation of the Decalogue. This
prohibition provides practical application to see the extent of human love for each other in
everyday life, including the prohibition to ‘Do not kill a child by abortion, or kill a child at
birth’. This order was given without any qualification and clearly stated. Contrastingly, the
Didache describes the “Way of Death,” as being “evil and full of curses,” and including
“murderers of children” and “corrupters of creatures of God.” 18
In the kernel of the Didache, which is probably its oldest part, the Two Ways, the
Way of Life was contrasted with the Way of Death. The latter way was followed by sinners
who included those who practice “medicine” and those who are “killers of the child, who abort
the mold [plasma] of God.” Again, there was a complementary character to the acts denounced:
pharmakeia, the killing of the child, and abortion. The offense of abortion was seen as an
offense against God because it attacked what He had made. It was associated with the sinful
use of drugs to prevent birth and with the slaying of the child. It may be that both abortions of
the mold and killing of the child were mentioned so that any distinction between formed and
unformed fetuses would not provide an escape. 19 The phrase ‘killing of children’ clearly refers
to infanticide and abortion. In this case, the term ‘baby’, whether unborn, is already categorized
as ‘God's creature’. The unborn child is referred to specifically as a “creature of God.” In other
words, Didache recognizes the fetus as a personal creation of God. Therefore, abortion at any
stage of pregnancy is a grave offense against God as the Creator of life. 20
3.2. Epistle of Barnabas (1st Century)
i. Biography
In the Scriptures, there is no mention of Barnabas being included in the number of
the twelve apostles. The Letter of Barnabas or often also referred to as the letter/homily of
Barnabas is traditionally defined as writing placed on behalf of an apostle. The Epistle of
Barnabas has been well known since the 2nd century in Church circles. There is no explicit
evidence that this writing was written by Barnabas. However, Clement of Alexandria identifies
the author as Barnabas. The letter itself does not state the purpose or reason why Barnabas'
letter was written. 21
ii. Historical context
The somewhat later Epistle of Barnabas was based on the Didache and provided a
commentary through its paraphrases and additions. It put the commandment on abortion in
Didache 2:2 in the following framework. The prescription was thus related to the love of
neighbor. The killing of the fetus to save one’s own life was implicitly rejected.
iii. Text
The way of light, then, is as follows. If anyone desires to travel to the appointed
place, he must be zealous in his works. The knowledge, therefore, that is given to us to walk in
18
Maren Brady, Roman Catholic Church Teaching and Abortion: A Historical View from the Early
Church to Modern (Texas: Baylor University, 2020), pp. 30-31.
19
20
Maren Brady, Roman Catholic Church Teaching and Abortion… p. 31.
21
Johannes Quasten, Patrology… p. 85.
this way, is the following… You shall not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor shall you
destroy it after it is born [Epistle of Barnabas 19:5 (c. A.D. 75)]. 22
iv. Exploration
While the Didache bases the Way of Life on the biblical command to “Love your
neighbor as yourself,” the Epistle expands the command to “Love your neighbor more than
your own life.” Just like the Didache referred to the fetus as a “creature of God” rather than as
simply part of the mother, this text considers the fetus as a “neighbor.” Abortion is again
considered to be contrary to the loved one is required to give his or her neighbor in light of
Christ’s commands. Additionally, abortion is referred to as “murder” in this text, which
demonstrates that early Christians recognized that a command against abortion ought to be
considered a sub-commandment of the Decalogue’s instruction against killing. 23
3.3. Apocalypse of Peter (2nd Century)
i. Biography
It is an early Christian text of the 2nd century as an example of apocalyptic
literature. Peter's revelations or visions are believed to have been written by Peter's disciples
describing Divine visions by Christ. This divine vision states that the time will come for the
second coming of Jesus (Parousia). With this text, the faithful are invited to pursue good deeds
and reject evil deeds. 24
The Apocalypse of Peter is a second-century pseudepigraphal Christian writing that
was popular among early Christians as evidenced by its inclusion in the Muratorian Canon. It
details a conversation between the author and Jesus concerning events that will occur at the
end of the world, and it provides the earliest Christian description of hell. In this description,
women who procure abortions, as well as those guilty of infanticide, are grouped together in
their eternal punishment. In this description of hell, individuals are punished in a manner that
corresponds to their earthly sins. For example, those who are guilty of “blaspheming the way
of righteousness,” are punished by being hung by their tongues over a fire. 25
iii. Text
And near that place, I saw another strait place into which the gore and the filth of
those who were being punished ran down and became a lake: and there sat women having the
gore up to their necks, and over against them sat many children who were born to them out of
due time, crying; and there came forth from them sparks of fire that smote the women in the
eyes: and these were the accursed who conceived and caused abortion [The Apocalypse of
Peter 25 (c. A.D. 135)]. 26
iv. Exploration
22
Jimmy Akin, The Fathers Know Best … pp. 193-194.
23
24
25
26
Here there was a pit of torment for sinners, among them women “who have caused
their children to be born untimely and have corrupted the work of God who created them.” The
phrasing was close to the “abort the mold of God” of the Way of Death in the Didache. Some
of these women had conceived the children in fornication; others had husbands who were
punished with them because “they forsook the commandments of God and slew their children.”
The offense described was killing what God had made, an offense heightened because it was
mothers who had killed their own offspring. While fornication in itself is also considered
punishable, it is not as serious as abortion because abortion “reverses” the “creative act” of
God. While abortion is considered in the context of adultery, it is discussed as a separate sin
that explicitly involves the destruction of life. 27
3.4. Athenagoras of Athens (133-190 AD)
i. Biography
There is no definite information about Athenagoras’ origins. Some sources say that
Athenagoras was from Athens, but it is also possible that he was not from Athens. Athenagoras
is known as a philosopher from Athens and also a Christian. His work is divided into two
groups, namely, regarding the petition for Christians and teaching about the belief in the
resurrection of the dead. Another main subject of Athenagoras’ theological teachings is
regarding the unity of God, the birth of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and the unity of the Trinity,
angels, and demons, and the birth of children as the main goal of marriage. 28
ii. Text
What man of sound mind, therefore, will affirm, while such is our character, that
we are murderers? [...] [W]hen we say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion
commit murder, and will have to give an account to God for the abortion, on what principle
should we commit murder? For it does not belong to the same person to regard the very fetus
in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God’s care, and when it has passed
into life, to kill it, and not to expose an infant, because those who expose them are chargeable
with child murder, and on the other hand, when it has been reared to destroy it [Plea for the
Christians 35 (c. A.D. 177)]. 29
iii. Exploration
The answer Athenagoras for the charge in his apologia for Christianity to the
emperor: “How can we kill a man when we are those who say that all who use abortifacients
are homicides and will account to God for their abortions as for the killing of men. For the fetus
in the womb is not an animal, and it is God's providence that he exists. The dedicated Christian
defense of life at the embryonic stage seemed to Athenagoras the surest proof of the Christian
reverence for life. 30
3.5. Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)
i. Biography
27
Maren Brady, Roman Catholic Church Teaching and Abortion… pp. 33-34.
28
Johannes Quasten, Patrology, vol. I… p. 229.
29
30
Clement’s full name is Titus Flavius Clements. He was born around 150 A.D. in
Athens. His parents were pagans. After he converted to Christianity, he spread his message
across Italy, Syria, and Palestine. He was under Pantaenus’ tutelage as a student and finally
succeeded in becoming the head of a catechumen's school around 200 AD. Three years after
that, he left Egypt because of the persecution of Septimus Severus. He fled to Cappadocia with
his disciple Alexander who later became bishop of Jerusalem. It was there that he died around
215 A.D. without returning to Egypt again. From his writings, he appears to be a man of great
knowledge. He lived during a period of thick pagan influence in the area where he lived. He
answered various forms of rivalry with the pagans with philosophical and literary thoughts.
Among his writings, there are three forms of work (trilogy) that provide information about the
role of theology and the systematics of theology he wrote. 31
Clement, the founder of the first school of Christian theology sought to present
Christ as the supreme educator for Christians and to provide teaching on Christian morality to
the turbulent Christian community at Alexandria, only mentioned abortion twice in his
extensive writings, it is clear that he is decidedly opposed to it. Clement mentions the
Apocalypse of Peter’s teaching on abortion in his second-century work, The Tutor or the
Paedagogus. 32
iii. Text
Our whole life can go on in observation of the laws of nature if we gain dominion
over our desires from the beginning and if we do not kill, by various means of a perverse art,
the human offspring, born according to the designs of divine providence; for these women
who, in order to hide their immorality, use abortive drugs which expel the matter completely
dead, abort at the same time their human feelings… Abortion is the killing of human life
that is under God’s care, design, and providence. [Paedagogus or The Instructor 2:10 (c. A.D.
190-200)].
iv. Exploration
This quote recognizes the damaging effects abortive potions can have on the
woman consuming them, as well as the harmful emotional complications that can follow
abortions. Additionally, Clement frames abortion as contrary to the natural laws of nature, in
which parents are supposed to look after and care for their offspring. Later comments by
Thomas Aquinas will also discuss abortion as contrary to the natural law. 33
Clement declared that Christians do not, in order to hide their fornication, “take
away human nature, which is generated from the providence of God, by hastening abortions
and applying the abortifacient drug to destroy utterly the embryo and, with it, the love of man.”
Here there is the same nexus of ideas found in the first century. Drugs to destroy offspring are
associated with lechery. Their use is condemned not merely because they furnish aid to sexual
31
Johannes Quasten, Patrology, vol. II… pp. 5-7.
32
33
sin or incorporate magic, but because they offend God in destroying what He has shaped and
destroyed the love of neighbor in destroying the fetus. 34
3.6. Tertullian of Carthage (155-240 AD)
i. Biography
Tertullian was born in Carthage around 155/160 and is thought to have died in 220
at his birthplace as well. Tertullian came from a pagan family. His family was known to be idol
worshipers. His own father was an officer in the Roman army. Tertullian received Education
in grammar, law, philosophy, and rhetoric. After finishing school in Carthage, Tertullian went
to Rome to study further and work as a lawyer. While studying in Rome, he was interested in
the teachings of Christianity. In the end, Tertullian also became a Christian and contributed
many writings to counter the accusations of the pagans against Christians. 35
Tertullian is the first Christian writer to mention the Septuagint distinction between
a pre-formed and formed fetus. Much of Tertullian’s writings on the topic of abortion are found
within his apologetic defenses of the Church against claims from secular Romans that
Christians performed rites that involved cannibalism of children. Apology, which dates to 197
A.D., was directed towards Roman governors and the emperor Septimius Severus. In defending
Christians against the claim that they practice child sacrifice in their rituals, Tertullian appeals
to the high moral standards held by Christians. He considers this claim in his chapter entitled,
“That the pagans are guilty both in private and the public of the same crimes they charge upon
Christians.” Specifically, he mentions that the Romans participate in the “ritual sacrifice of
children” as well as “drowning children and exposing them to cold, hunger, and dogs.”
Conversely, Christians hold even the destruction of the fetus in the womb as immoral and
unacceptable. 36
iii. Text
In our case, murder being forbidden, we may not destroy even the fetus in the
womb, while the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To
hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life
that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth. That is a man that is going to be one;
you have the fruit already in its seed [Apology 9 (A.D. 197)].
Among surgeons’ tools, there is a certain instrument formed with a nicely adjusted
flexible frame for opening the uterus and keeping it open; it is further furnished with an annular
blade, by means of which the limbs within the womb are dissected with anxious but unfaltering
care; its last appendage being a blunted or covered hook, with which the entire fetus is extracted
by a violent delivery. There is also a copper needle or spike, by which the actual death is
managed in this furtive robbery of life: from its infanticide function, they give it the name of
embruosphaktê, the slayer of the infant, which was of course alive. Such apparatus was
possessed both by Hippocrates, Asclepiades, Erasistratus, and Herophilus, that dissector of
adults, and the milder Soranus himself, whom all knew well enough that a living being had
34
35
36
been conceived, and pitied this most luckless infant state, which had first to be put to death, to
escape being tortured alive [Treatise on the Soul 25 (c. A.D. 210)].
Now we allow that life begins with conception because we contend that the soul
also begins from conception; life takes its commencement at the same moment and place that
the soul does [ibid., 27]. The Law of Moses, indeed, punishes with due penalties the man who
shall cause abortion [Ex 21:22–24] [Treatise on the Soul 37 (c. A.D. 210)]. 37
iv. Exploration
Tertullian in his apologia to the pagans dismissed the charge of infanticide
practiced by Christians and asserted: “For us, indeed, as homicide is forbidden, it is not lawful
to destroy what is conceived in the womb while the blood is still being formed into a man. To
prevent being born is to accelerate homicide, nor does it make a difference whether you snatch
away a soul which is born or destroy one being born. He who is man-to-be is man, as all fruit
is now in the seed. The substance is the same as the Two Ways: the mold in the womb may not
be destroyed. The offense is expressed as the killing of a potential human, an act which seems
forbidden by the commandment, “You shall not kill.” 38
In the first quote, Tertullian also mentions the distinction between the formed and
the unformed fetus. However, he claims that “there is no difference” in the moral gravity of the
act on the basis of a formation distinction. Because both cases involve the intention to destroy
life or to “commit murder by way of advance,” they are condemned. Whether or not the fetus
is a fully formed human being makes no difference in the intention to destroy fetal life. Life in
the womb, left undisturbed, will eventually become “a perfect man.” While his embryological
understanding represented by the metaphor of “fruit in blossom” is outdated, the sentiment of
his expression is that the embryo is not to be violated by abortion no matter its stage of
development. 39
v. Concept of human formation
Personhood: Tertullian believed that the body and soul are separate entities. And
the imbuement of the soul within the human body “bears the imprint of the image and likeness
of God and [the soul-infused within the flesh] is the queen of God’s creation within the
imperfect physicality of humanity. For him, the body is corrupted by the sin possessed within
humanity is what gave rise to God endowing it with a soul. The flesh without the soul is viewed
as nothing but a sinful vessel, and the soul by itself is not able to do well without the vessel.
Sin, however, is not the only virtue that characterizes what a human being is. Tertullian’s
definition of human beings not only means having been made in the image of God, but also
possessing spirit, reason, and freedom. Summarized, these interpretations of Tertullian reveal
a connection between the physicality of humanity and the soul. These combined are what
constitute being made in the image and likeness to God and cannot be separated from our
humanity and personhood. 40
37
38
39
40
Lauren Taylor Provencher, “A Historical Analysis of the Early Christian Church Fathers’ Opinion
Regarding Abortion” in Honors Theses. University of Southern Mississippi, 2016, p. 5-6.
Ensoulment: the ensoulment is the precise moment when a human is determined
to have a soul, occurring a significant amount of time after conception. Tertullian believed in
the idea of ensoulment at the moment of conception. This is predicated upon the idea that God
breathes life into each and every person. This does not mean that the soul is “alive” but resides
within the flesh of humans and has the ability to be awakened upon the worship of God. From
the moment of conception, humans possess a soul bestowed upon them by God. This soul is
not functional though and only contains potentiality until the body it is residing in has gained
the ability and rationale to fully accept God. 41
Abortion: Tertullian explicitly denies the validity of abortion. Whether a fetus is
born or yet to be born it is sinful to willingly abort the life of a child. This is due in part to the
sinfulness of slaying a fellow human endowed with a soul, which in turn is due to the
introduction of original sin by Adam, and also due to the fact that a fetus, in Tertullian’s eyes,
is completely innocent until about the age of fourteen or when they reach puberty. 42
3.7. Minucius Felix
i. Biography
About his biography, there is no exact information. There is no definite information
even where he came from. However, it is thought that Marcus Minucius Felix wrote his
writings in 150-170. Markus Felix is one of the defenders of Christianity. His writings are
addressed to educated non-Christians in order to defend the teachings of the Church’s faith. 43
ii. Text
There are some women who, by drinking medical preparations, extinguish the
source of the future man in their bowels, and thus commit a parricide before they bring
forth. And these things assuredly come down from the teaching of your gods… To us, it is not
lawful either to see or to hear of homicide [Octavius 30 (c. A.D. 226)]. 44
iii. Exploration
Who would believe that the tender bodies of infants would be destroyed? “No one
would believe it unless he dared it.” In charging this crime the pagans reveal their own conduct.
They expose their unwanted children to wild beasts and birds or strangle them. “By drinks of
drugs, they extinguish in their viscera the beginning of a man to be and, before they bear,
commit parricide.” These things are derived from their gods, for Saturn devoured his own
children. The use of the term parricidium is especially striking here. Roman law had no generic
term for the “killing of a man,” and so Minucius used the closest legal term in use, “parricide,”
the killing of a near relation, designating a crime punished with great severity by the law. It
conveyed the idea of heinous killing at the same time that Minucius expanded its meaning far
beyond its recognized legal meaning to encompass abortion. In describing the pagans' practice,
he expressed his own judgment that it was wrong. At the same time, he made the suggestion,
41
Lauren Taylor Provencher, “A Historical Analysis… p. 6.
42
43
Johannes Quasten, Patrology, vol. 2… p. 155.
44
of much psychological interest, that the Greek myth of a god devouring his children was related
to abortion. 45
3.8. Council of Elvira (305 AD)
As early writings such the Didache, Epistle of Barnabas, and Apocalypse of Peter
demonstrate, abortion was unequivocally considered wrong by early Christians. Because of
this, it was necessary to determine appropriate penalties for Christians who committed this sin.
The first official Church bodies to set specific punishments and penances for abortion were
ecclesiastical councils. In 305 AD, the Council of Elvira was held in Spain, near modern-day
Granada. Nineteen bishops and twenty-four priests gathered with the intention to establish
disciplinary measures within the church. In total, this council passed 81 canons that centered
around severe penalties for those who committed apostasy amidst persecution and adultery.
Many of the sins described are punished by life-long excommunication, abortion being
included in that especially grave category. The Council of Elvira was officially the “first
Christian body to enact punishment for abortion.” 46
ii. Text
If a woman, while her husband is away, conceives by adultery and after that crime
commits abortion, she shall not be given communion even at the approach of death, since she
has doubled her crime. [Canon 63 (A.D. 305)]. 47
iii. Exploration
In this canon, abortion is considered in the context of adultery. But, while abortion
is considered in the context of other sexual sins, it is condemned separately as murder.
Although the context of this condemnation of abortion is sexual sins, it is not these actions as
such, but rather murder that is the main subject and determines the extent of the penalty to be
meted out. Abortion is not considered wrong because it is done to hide sexual sin; rather, it is
wrong because it causes the death of the unborn child. The connection with adultery is simply
an observation that hiding fornication was a common motivation for a woman to seek an
abortion. Notably, the punishment this canon specifies is directed solely at the mother herself.
It does not mention the husband, who may have pressured his wife or mistress into receiving
an abortion, or the individual performing the procedure (in situations where it is not the mother
herself). Later councils (such as Ancyra) and penitential canons recognize mitigating factors in
the crime of abortion, such as pressures placed on the mother by outside forces. 48
3.9. Council of Ancyra (314 AD)
The Council of Ancyra was held in 314 AD. Present at this council were bishops
representing Syria and Asia Minor, indicating that it was representative of a larger geographic
region than Elvira. Just like Elvira, this council was called to determine punishments for
45
46
47
48
Christian sins. This council passed legislation that specifically punishes women who “slay what
is generated and work to destroy it with abortifacients.” Bishops present at Ancyra were aware
of the precedent set by Elvira and made a conscious decision to decide on a milder sentence,
possibly in recognition of complicated factors and pressures that could coerce a woman to
abort. 49
ii. Text
Concerning women who commit fornication, and destroy what they have
conceived, or who are employed in making drugs for abortion, a former decree excluded them
until the hour of death, and to this, some have assented. Nevertheless, being desirous to use
somewhat greater leniency, we have ordained that they fulfill ten years [of penance], according
to the prescribed degrees [Canon 21 (A.D. 314)]. 50
iii. Exploration
While Elvira indicated a life-long ex-communication, this council prescribed a ten-
year penitential period. During the penitential period, women were excluded from participation
in the sacraments, such as baptism and communion. Additional penalties, such as abstention
from meat, could be prescribed by an individual confessor. While the moral severity of abortion
remained unquestioned, the legal penance was in between that accidental murder and adultery.
Through the Middle Ages, the ten-year punishment would hold in many regions as the
standard. 51 The Council retained the life penance for voluntary homicide so that the reduction
marked a recognition of mitigating circumstances in the character of the crime, while its gravity
was indicated by the still severe penalty imposed. 52
3.10. St. Basil of Caesarea (330-379 AD)
i. Biography
Born around 330; died 379. A Doctor of the Church. He was the bishop of Caesarea
in Cappadocia (now Kayseri, Turkey) and a major defender of Trinitarian theology when the
Arian crisis was at its worst. He had a fiery temper. Together with his younger brother, St.
Gregory of Nyssa, and his friend, St. Gregory of Nazianz, he is one of the three Cappadocian
Fathers. Also known as St. Basil the Great. 53
The main source for Basil’s opinions on abortion comes from his Canonical Letters,
which held great influence over theology and doctrine in the Eastern Church as a whole. In
these letters, Basil accepts the ten-year penance for abortion from the Council of Ancyra as
opposed to the life-long penance of Elvira. Additionally, Basil rejects the formed versus
unformed distinction in a 347 AD letter to Ampilochius. 54
iii. Text
49
50
51
52
53
54
The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. With
us, there is no nice inquiry as to its being formed or unformed. In this case, it is not only the
being about to be born who is vindicated, but the woman in her attack upon herself; because in
most cases women who make such attempts die. The destruction of the embryo is an additional
crime, a second murder, at all events if it is done with intent. The punishment, however, for
these women should not be for life, but for the term of ten years. And let their treatment depend
not on mere lapse of time, but on the character of their repentance [Letters 188:2 (A.D. 374)].
Women also who administer drugs to cause abortion, as well as those who take
poisons to destroy unborn children, are murderesses [ibid., 188:8]. 55
iv. Exploration
In this passage, Basil considers the destruction of the fetus to be equivalent to
murder. He also firmly rejects any distinction in penance related to the Septuagint’s
consideration of formed versus unformed fetuses. He considers an “obsessive precision”
related to the exact moment of formation to be morally irrelevant because it is too subtle. All
abortions have as their intent the embryo’s destruction and therefore should be considered
homicide in Basil’s view. This letter also recognizes the danger that abortifacients pose to the
mother herself. Basil is more concerned with the individual woman’s personal repentance than
the length of the penitential period. In a later letter, Basil states that those who supply a woman
with abortifacient drugs are also guilty of homicide. 56
3.11. St. Jerome (347-420 AD)
i. Biography
Jerome was born in 347 in Dalmatia. He was born into a wealthy family. His first
education was from his father in Rome. Another teacher was the grammarian Aelius Donatus
and his third education was the study of rhetoric. He was baptized at the age of 20 by Pope
Liberius. Since then, he has shown concern and concern for the church and the teachings of the
faith in the church. He also decided to become a cloud and traveled to most places. In 378 he
was ordained a priest by Paulinus at Antioch. 57
Jerome’s most oft-referenced work in the conversation surrounding abortion comes
from a letter he wrote in the early 380s. At this point, Jerome was in Rome and had become
connected with a group of religious, aristocratic women. One of these women, Paula, had a
teenage daughter named Eustochium who desired to become a female ascetic. St. Jerome
defines asceticism as “an effort to attain true perfection” of virtue through self-denying acts
such as fasting and abstinence. In this letter to Eustochium, Jerome attacks the moral lapses of
women in the church who vowed to remain virgins. He explains that many of these women
attempt to hide their sexual sins by procuring abortions before they are visibly pregnant, which
results in grave sin and eternal punishment. 58
55
56
57
J. Texiront, A Handbook of Patrology (London: Herder Book Co., 1923), pp. 142-143.
58
Lauren Taylor Provencher, “A Historical Analysis… pp. 43-44.
iii. Text
I cannot bring myself to speak of the many virgins who fall every day and are lost
to the bosom of the Church, their mother… Some go so far as to take potions, that they may
ensure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception. Some, when
they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when (as
often happens) they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world laden with the guilt not
only of adultery against Christ but also of suicide and child murder [Letters 22:13 (A.D.
384)]. 59
iv. Exploration
This passage puts forth a strong condemnation of the practice of abortion. Not only
is abortion a result of the sin of fornication, but it is also separately and explicitly condemned
as “child murder.” He also recognizes the danger that abortifacient potions pose to the pregnant
woman herself, as he writes that these women often “die with their offspring.” Thus, they are
guilty of taking their own lives and taking their children’s lives. Jerome relied on the Septuagint
translation of Scripture and therefore was aware of the formed versus unformed distinction
expressed by the mistranslation in Exodus. Because of this mistranslation, Jerome treats as
questionable the exact type of sin abortion is before formation. In a letter to Algasia, he writes
that “seeds are gradually formed in the uterus, and [abortion] is not reputed homicide until the
scattered elements receive their appearance and members.” 60 Therefore, if homicide is defined
as taking the life of a human being, abortion cannot be considered homicide in the legal
definition until the fetus is fully formed. However, Jerome still considers abortion at any stage
to be a sin against God as the giver of life. He considers abortion before the formation of
homicide by intent, but he does not believe it fits the legal definition of homicide. 61
Another questionable concept in Jerome’s writings is his definite opinion on the
time when the formation is complete, and ensoulment occurs. Unlike Tertullian’s
Traducianism, Jerome espouses the doctrine of creationism and claims that it is the only theory
compatible with orthodox Christianity. Creationism teaches that “the individual human soul is
the immediate act of God’s creative act.” Contrary to what traducianists taught, Jerome does
not believe that the soul is present in the parent’s contributions. Rather, the soul is bestowed
on the fetus uniquely by God. While Jerome espoused creationism, he did not say exactly when
God endows the fetus with the soul. 62
As far as Jerome and Augustine were concerned, the theoretical distinction led to
no difference in moral disapprobation. They simply adopted language broad enough to
condemn both contraceptive acts and acts destroying the fetus after conception. Jerome wrote
to his star pupil Eustochium on how to preserve her virginity among the temptations to
adolescents in Rome. He denounced those Christian girls who, saying “all things are pure to
the pure,” had affairs and sought to prevent or conceal pregnancy. Some “will drink sterility
and kill a man not yet born.” Others will use potions to commit abortions. These are parricides,
and as sometimes the abortifacients are fatal to them, too, they go to judgment thrice
condemned as adulteresses, killers of their children, and killers of themselves. Here, in the
59
60
61
62
language of Minucius, abortion became parricide, and the age of the fetus was unmentioned.
63
3.12. St. John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

i. Biography
John Chrysostom was born in Antioch in 350 AD. He was a student of Diodorus
and a friend of Theodorus. He is known as the golden mouth because of his ability to deliver
sermons well. In 381 AD he was ordained a deacon by Miletus and then given the task of
serving social-charitable works. Five years later (386) he was ordained to the faith by Flavian.
His exemplary life and expertise in commenting on the Scriptures led him to become a bishop.
He was ordained on 26 February 398 by Theophilus of Alexandria. He died on 14 September
407. 64
Chrysostom makes a unique contribution to the discussion surrounding abortion
because he directs his critiques toward men. He places his condemnation of abortion in the
context of the plight of prostitutes.
iii. Text
I beseech you, flee fornication… Why sow where the ground makes it its job to
destroy the fruit? Where there are many efforts at abortion? Where there is murder before the
birth? For even the harlot you do not let continue a mere harlot, but make her a murderess also.
You see how drunkenness leads to whoredom, whoredom to adultery, adultery to murder, or
rather to something even worse than murder. For I have no name to give it, since it does not
take away the thing born, but prevents its being born. Why then do you abuse the gift of God,
and fight with his laws, and follow after what is a curse as if it were a blessing, and make
the chamber of procreation a chamber for murder, and arm the woman that was given for
childbearing into slaughter? For with a view to drawing more money by being agreeable and
an object of longing to her lovers, even this she will do, heaping upon your head a great pile of
fire. For even if the daring deed be hers, yet the cause of it is yours [Homilies on Romans 24
(c. A.D. 391)]. 65
iv. Exploration
In this quote, Chrysostom discusses abortion in the context of sexual sins but does
not view it as only the fault of the woman involved. In addressing the Romans, he includes his
observations that abortions are often sought out by prostitutes to preserve their sexual appeal,
as their job and livelihood hinged on their physical attractiveness. Rather than minimize or
invalidate these concerns, Chrysostom recognizes them as valid and instead directs his homily
toward men. He sees them as ultimately responsible, writing that “even if the daring deed be
hers, yet the causing of it thine.” Men’s drunkenness leads to visiting brothels, committing
adultery, and then forcing prostitutes into having abortions. In this quote, Chrysostom also
speaks of abortion as murder, or “something even worse than murder.” He writes that the
63
64
Johannes Quasten, Patrology, vol. 3… pp. 424-429.
65
prostitute’s sin is compounded by abortion because she ceases “to be a mere harlot” and
becomes “a murderess also.” 66
3.13. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)
i. Biography
Augustine of Hippo was born on 13 November 354 in Thagaste, North Africa. He
was interested in philosophy and the Bible. For him, there is no conflict between faith and
reason. Both of them complement each other. Before converting to become a Christian, he
adhered to the flow of Manichaeism. His thoughts greatly influenced the development of the
Church. He maintains that humans are truly saved by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, not
solely because of nature and free will. After being baptized into the Catholic Church he went
into seclusion and founded a monastic community. Then by bishop Valerius, he has ordained
a priest. After that, he ordained a bishop in 395. He died on August 28, 430. Then thanks to his
work he was given the title Doctor of the Church. 67
Augustine’s considerations of abortion are best understood in light of his overall
writings on the sexual relationship between a married couple where he is explaining his view
that marriage is of itself good and that it uses sexual desire well – though the such desire is not
of itself good – for the procreation of children. Augustine’s undertones behind his view of sex
may be motivated by his own life experiences. Before his conversion, Augustine maintained a
sexual relationship with a concubine that produced one son. In Augustine’s view, married
couples sin when they use contraceptives or abortifacients, as they unnaturally frustrate the
procreative end of the marriage. Augustine characterizes such actions as being motivated by
“cruel lust.” 68
iii. Text
If therefore there is an unformed embryo, animated in an unformed way – since the
great question of the soul is not to be rushed into rashly with thoughtless opinion – then on this
account the Law does not pertain to homicide, because it is not yet possible to say that a living
soul is in this body since it is bereft of sense, if (the soul) be in flesh that is not yet formed and
hence not yet endowed with sense [Questions on Exodus 80]
iv. Exploration
While he condemns late abortions of formed fetuses on the grounds of the fetus’
status as a human being, he additionally condemns the abortion of the unformed fetus as a
violation of the sacred nature of the marriage covenant. He expressed an inclination to treat
even the unformed fetus as human in some sense. 69 Augustine thus condemned three kinds of
acts: contraception, the killing of the fetus before it is formed or “lives,” and the killing of the
live fetus. The analysis was a new approach in treating each of these acts as a sin against
marriage. Elsewhere Augustine treated abortion as a form of homicide. The preservation of life
within the womb also became a reason for restricting what St. Paul in the First Epistle to the
66
67
J. Texiront, A Handbook of Patrology… pp. 145-146.
68
69
Corinthians had set out in terms of justice, the right to intercourse within marriage (1
Corinthians 7.3-5). 70
v. Concept of human formation
Personhood: Augustine believed in a hierarchy of language in which human
speech is at the bottom, and then human intellectual thought, and at the tier is the human
approximation of the Word of God. This consequently means that humans cannot achieve a
true definition of who they are because that definition can only be derived from God’s image
and likeness i.e., the Word of God. Moreover, even though the true definition of personhood
cannot be attained, a similar definition can be reached through the strive to find oneself. The
self is embodied in the incorporation of the soul and the body. 71
Ensoulment: In the influence of Manichaeism and an unorthodox sect, Augustine
viewed ensoulment as something that occurred after a period of time from the moment of
conception. Similarly to Aristotle, the soul is imbued once the form [fetus] is complete, which
Augustine believed was forty days after conception for males and eighty days for females.
However, later on in his life, his views became more in line with Christian orthodoxy as
described in his Confession. 72 Moreover, in his discussion of the resurrection, he expresses that
even unformed fetuses will rise to new life. This treatment of the unformed fetus expresses a
belief that human life is present in some way in the womb even before ensoulment occurs. In
the resurrection, Augustine believes that “every defect of form shall be supplied” for unformed
fetuses, and that they will rise alongside the unformed fetuses.
Abortion: Augustine, along with many other early theologians was in consensus
about the idea that there is a difference between a formed and unformed fetus. Despite this
analysis that humanness is not achieved until after conception Augustine was not so quick to
condone abortion. In fact, he associated this act or any similar act as a homicide. Augustine
wrote that when a married woman makes use of a poison of sterility or aborts an unborn child
that it has dire consequences for the foundation of the marriage; it is therefore based on
seduction rather than God’s intended purpose for marriage. This is why Augustine makes a
clear distinction between personhood, ensoulment, and abortion. He believed that personhood
and ensoulment were not achieved until later on during the later stages of formation for a fetus;
however, he believed that the killing of an unformed fetus was sinful due to its repercussions
for marriage and its resemblance to the homicide of another living man. 73
3.14. Other sources
According to our limitation in time and reference books, also in the limit of the
paper’s length, we just mention some text related to the issue of abortion without more
explanation.
i. Apostolic constitutions
70
71
72
Lauren Taylor Provencher, “A Historical Analysis… pp. 11-12.
73
In the East, the Apostolic Constitutions, an apocryphal set of apostolic canons from
Syria, condemned killing a “formed fetus.” 74
You shall not use magic. You shall not use witchcraft; for he says, “You shall not
suffer a witch to live.” You shall not slay your child by causing abortion, nor kill what is
begotten; for “everything that is shaped, and has received a soul from God, if it be slain, shall
be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed” [Apostolic Constitutions 7:1:3 (c. A.D. 400)]. 75
ii. Lactanius
For when God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits us from open violence, which
is not even allowed by the public laws, but he warns us against the commission of those things
esteemed lawful among men… Therefore let no one imagine that this is allowed, to strangle
newborn children, which is the greatest impiety; for God breathes into their souls for life, and
not for death. But men, that there may be no crime with which they may not pollute their hands,
deprive souls as yet innocent and simple of the light that they themselves have not given.
Can anyone, indeed, expect that they would abstain from the blood of others who
do not abstain from their own? But these are without any controversy wicked and unjust
[Divine Institutes 6:20 (c. A.D. 307)]. 76
iii. St. Hippolytus of Rome
[W]omen, reputed believers, began to resort to drugs to produce sterility, and to
gird themselves round, so to expel what was being conceived on account of their not wishing
to have a child either by a slave or any paltry fellow, for the sake of their family and excessive
wealth. Behold, into how great impiety that lawless one has proceeded, by committing adultery
and murder at the same time! [Refutation of All Heresies 9:7 (c. A.D. 227)]. 77
iv. Council in Trullo (Quinisext Council – 692 AD)
At the council 215 Oriental bishops were present. The West never recognized the
council. In canon XCI we read:
“Those who give drugs for procuring abortion, and those who receive poisons to
kill the foetus, are subjected to the penalty of murder.”
Ancient Epitome: ‘Whoever gives or receives medicine to produce abortion is a
homicide, See Canon XXI. of Ancyra, and Canon II. of St. Basil; to wit, “She who purposely
destroys the foetus, shall suffer the punishment of murder. And we pay no attention to the subtile
distinction as to whether the foetus was formed or unformed. And by this not only is justice
satisfied for the child that should have been born, but also for her who prepared for herself the
snares, since the women very often die who make such experiments.”
During the Quinisext council, several older councils and many older canons of
individual church leaders were approved for church-wide use, where formerly their binding
power was limited to the jurisdiction of the church leader. To these approved canons belonged
74
75
76
77
also the first canonical epistle of Basil of Caesarea and the Epistle of Barnabas. Around 370
AD Basil wrote in Canon II:
“Let her that procures abortion undergo ten years' penance, whether the embryo
were perfectly formed, or not.”
4. The teaching of the Church

4.1. Response of the Catholic Church toward supported-abortion arguments
The most fundamental question involved in the long history of thought on abortion
is: How do you determine the humanity of a being? To phrase the question that way is to put it
in comprehensive humanistic terms what the theologians either dealt with as an explicitly
theological question under the heading of “ensoulment” or dealt with implicitly in their
treatment of abortion. From the philosophical view of Aristotle until Zacchias, the concept was
adopted as a theological concept. Therefore, the problem of knowing when a man is a man is
common to theology and humanism. The answer of the theologians is that “one conceived, the
being was recognized as a man because he had man’s potential. The criterion for humanity,
thus, was simple and all-embracing: if you are conceived by human parents, you are human.” 78
There are some distinctions offered in the contemporary controversy over
legalizing abortion. The most popular distinction is in terms of viability. Before an age of so
many months, the fetus is not viable, that is, it cannot be removed from the mother's womb and
live apart from her. To that extent, the life of the fetus is absolutely dependent on the life of the
mother. This dependence is made the basis of denying recognition to its humanity. However,
there are difficulties with this distinction: the length of life is not an exact measure; the weight
and length of the fetus vary; even different racial groups have different ages at which their
fetuses are viable. If viability is the norm, therefore, the standard would vary with race and
with many individual circumstances. In addition, the fetus is still absolutely dependent on
someone’s care in order to continue existence. The second distinction has been attempted in
terms of experience. A being who has had experience has lived and suffered, and possesses
memories, is more human than one who has not. But the embryo is already experiencing and
reacting. Another reason to refuse the distinction is how human beings who have failed to love
or learn might be excluded from the class called man. A third distinction is made by appealing
to the sentiments of adults. The fetus is an unnamed “it” till birth, unrecognized as a personality
by its own parents. The lack of feeling for a fetus is an index of its subhuman state. Yet the
feeling is notoriously an unsure guide to the humanity of others. These feelings do not seem to
point to any substantial difference in the humanity of many states in the process of man’s
development (baby, child, or grandfather). Distinctions are also made in terms of sensation by
the parents. The embryo is felt within the womb only after about the fourth month. Yet
experience shows that sight (feeling of the presence of the fetus) is even more untrustworthy
than feeling in determining humanity. Finally, a distinction is sought in social visibility. The
fetus is not socially perceived as human. Because it cannot communicate with others, it is not
a member of society. However, this distinction is to be rejected because it is equally dangerous
78
in its implications. If humanity depends on social recognition, individuals or whole groups may
be dehumanized by being denied any status in their society. 79
4.2. The Catholic Church’s teaching
i. Prohibition of abortion
The Second Vatican Council had reason to consider abortion specifically in relation
to family planning. In its pastoral constitution, Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope), on the Church
in the modem world, the Council had affirmed the duty of responsible procreation, of
conscientious decision-making by spouses regarding how many children they should have. The
Council had also affirmed that conjugal love was “perfected” in conjugal intercourse. It then
recognized that there might well be a conflict between the expression of love and responsible
parenthood. The Council, carefully refraining from a decision on contraception, did not attempt
to solve the conflict. It did observe, however, “These are those who presume to offer to these
problems indecent solutions; indeed, they do not shrink from killing.” In response to such
solutions, the Council declared, “Life from its conception is to be guarded with the greatest
care. Abortion and infanticide are horrible crimes.” In this declaration, the Council made
several doctrinal advances. For the first time contraception was treated differently from
abortion. A line was drawn, with contraception on one side, and abortion and infanticide on the
other. Certain commands on contraception were specified as being for “children of the
Church.” The teaching on abortion, in contrast, was in a document otherwise addressed to “all
men of goodwill.” Abortion was condemned; no final judgment was made on all forms of
contraception. Beyond these distinctions, an amendment, specifically made and adopted, added
the words “from its conception.” In this way, the Council sharply marked off the status of the
conceptus from the status of spermatozoa and ova. Finally, the declaration was the first
statement ever made by a general council of the Church on abortion; its judgment, promulgated
by Paul VI on December 5, 1965, represented a commitment by the Catholic bishops of the
world to care from conception. 80
ii. Catechism
Catholic Church taught that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely
from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must
be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every
innocent being to life” (CCC 2270). Catechism also referred to Church’s tradition from the first
century. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. “Direct abortion, that is to
say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall
not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.” Life must be
protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are
abominable crimes (CCC 2271).
The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime
against human life. Even those who give formal cooperation in an abortion constitute a grave
offense (cf. CCC 2272). The Church also stated the unique right of human beings: “These
human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a
concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the
79
80
person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such
fundamental rights, one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and
physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.” Therefore, “The inalienable
rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political
authority” (CCC 2273).
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended
in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being. It is gravely
opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion,
depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence (CCC
2274).
iii. Exception
The fetus weighed as human, one interest could be weighed as equal or superior:
that of the mother in her own life. Since 1895, that interest was given decisive weight only in
the two special cases of the cancerous uterus and ectopic pregnancy. In both of these cases, the
fetus itself had little chance of survival even if the abortion was not performed. As the balance
was once struck in favor of the mother whenever her life was endangered, it could be so struck
again. The balance reached between 1895 and 1930 attempted prudentially and pastorally to
forestall a multitude of exceptions for interests less than life. 81
III. CONCLUSION
For the Christian community, it was the injunction of Scripture to love your
neighbor as yourself. The fetus as a human was a neighbor; his life had parity with one's own.
Do not injure your fellow man without reason. In these terms, once the humanity of the fetus
is perceived, abortion is never right except in self-defense. When life must be taken to save a
life, reason alone cannot say that a mother must prefer a child's life to her own. With this
exception, now of great rarity, abortion violates the rational humanist tenet of the equality of
human lives. For Christians, the commandment to love received had a special imprint in that
the exemplar proposed of love was the love of the Lord for his disciples. In the light given by
this example, self-sacrifice carried to the point of death seemed in extreme situations, not
without meaning. 82
Abortion in the early church cannot be seen as an isolated issue. Developing views
on sexuality and ensoulment, and the influence of classic philosophy and morality at the time
in which Christianity developed, all contributed to the view as expressed in the Quinisext
council. Both Ante- and (post) Nicene fathers agree that abortion should be regarded as murder.
Initially the charge of murder was not backed up with arguments. The maturing process of
Christianity inevitably resulted in more refined doctrines. The murder charge had to be backed
up.
81
82
SOURCES
Akin, Jimmy. The Fathers Know Best – Your Essential Guide to The Teachings of the Early
Church. San Diego: Catholic Answers: 2010.
Brady, Maren. Roman Catholic Church Teaching and Abortion: A Historical View from the
Early Church to Modern. Texas: Baylor University, 2020.
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Revised in Accordance with the Official Latin Text
Promulgated by Pope John Paul II. Washington, DC: United States Catholic
Conference; 2000.
Green, Joel B. (Ed.) Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics. Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
Noonan, John T. Jr. “Abortion and the Catholic Church: A Summary History” in Natural Law
Forum. 1967.
Provencher, Lauren Taylor. “A Historical Analysis of the Early Christian Church Fathers’
Opinion Regarding Abortion” in Honors Theses. University of Southern
Mississippi, 2016.
Quasten, Johannes. Patrology, vol I-III. Westminster: Christian Classics, 1986.
Texiront, J. A Handbook of Patrology. London: Herder Book Co., 1923.

Presentation Group Abortion in Fathers of Church

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Members of group:

1. Tran Ngoc Lam (200510091) 3. Doni Xaverius (200510027)

II. PROHIBITION OF ABORTION

(San Diego: Catholic Answers: 2010), p. 193.

3. Teaching of Fathers of Church

3.12. St. John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

4. The teaching of the Church

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