Aborcja w opinii św. Augustyna

Abstract

In his article the author tries to show St Augustine’s attitude towards abortion. First, he deals with the terminology (abortus, aborsus, abortio, abortivus, abortire – used 28 times altogether), noting that the Bishop of Hippo used the term abortus to denote any (including non-culpable) miscarriage of an unbom fetus; he also used it in a metaphorical sense to denote a catechumen expelled from his community. The author reminds of the proper meaning of the word, as it was used by Manicheans, and then by faithful Christians, who also often used the term pocula abortionis. St Augustine, mainly under the influence of Septuaginta (Ex. 21, 22- 23) differentiated an unformed fetus from a formed one and he only considered destroying the latter one as murder. Answering the question: will all the fetuses be resurrected? he also said that only the latter ones will. Like Tertulian did earlier, he allowed for embryotomy, however, against the Stoics’ attitude he did not consider a fetus part of the mother’s viscera (pars viscera matris).