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Did the early Church oppose abortion?

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Philip Kosloski - published on 05/05/22
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Yes, the early Church opposed abortion following Jesus Christ's ascension into Heaven.

Abortion often seems like a modern issue of debate, but it has been around for thousands of years. In fact, the early Church was vocally opposed to abortion, seeing it as the killing of another human person.

St. John Paul II gives a brief history of the Church's view in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae.

The Didache is one of the earliest records we have of the Church's stance against abortion, dating to around the year 70 AD.

Roughly 2,000 years later, the Catholic Church has not changed her stance regarding abortion, as Pope Francis is one of the most vocal opponents of abortion.

While the Church has always opposed abortion, throughout the centuries the Church also stressed respecting the dignity of every human person, caring for both mother and child.

The Church believes women should not have to go through an unplanned pregnancy alone, but be surrounded by a network of people who support her and her child.

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