The official position of the Catholic Church (the traditional or original Christian church) is to oppose abortion (in particular the murder of a healthy baby inside the womb). As clearly stated by Pope Francis:
"So great is the value of human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother's womb, that no alleged right to one's own body can justify a decision to terminate (kill) that life, which is an end in itself and which can never be considered the property of another human being."
The Didache ("didache ton dodeka apostolon" or "Doctrine of the 12 Apostles"), written soon after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, likely within 65 AD to 80 AD, by uncertain authors associated with the early Christian church, includes the following admonition:
"[...] thou shalt not procure abortion, nor commit infanticide;"
The Didache represents the first catechism (instructions) of the founding church era. Original scrolls were lost but a Greek manuscript probably written in 1056 AD was discovered in 1873 in a monastery in Constantinople (before muslim occupation, it is now called Istanbul by the muslim community, a derivative of "Islambol" which means "Islam abounds"). Among the manuscripts was a copy of the Didache. Many references to the Didache are made in ancient Christian literature and other historical writings, including Bishop Saint Irenaeus of Lyons who was martyred in 202 AD. Some scholars associate the Didache with the council of the Apostles (Saints Paul, Barnabas-Joseph, James) writing this early manual of catechism instruction.
To learn about the Catholic church in the United States, visit:
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/index.cfm
To learn more about the positions on abortion please visit:
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/index.cfm#church
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