In today’s debates about sexual and reproductive health, the Catholic Church often stands as a strong pro-life advocate.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that since the first century, the Church has believed abortion is morally wrong. This teaching hasn’t changed. Direct abortion, meaning abortion intended as either a goal or a method, goes against moral law.
The Church also has strict rules about using contraception, even for married couples. In 1968, Pope Paul VI released Humanae Vitae, which banned artificial contraception for Catholics. The Pope said that contraceptives are “intrinsically wrong” and that couples “are not free to act as they choose” when it comes to having children.
Despite these strong positions, the Church has honored many people who have either performed abortions or contradicted these statements. Here are ten stories of saints, popes, or others who showed favor toward abortions or contraceptives.
Pope John XXIII
In the 1960s, feminism was becoming more mainstream. One aspect that helped women gain independence was “the pill,” introduced at the start of the decade.
Because of these cultural and medical changes, the Catholic Church had to address its own moral laws. In 1963, Pope John Paul XXIII was open to change. He created the Papal Commission on Population, the Family, and Birth Control. By the end of its three years, the commission included theologians, psychologists, laymen, and married couples. Of the 72 members, only four opposed contraceptive reform. The other 68 were in favor of a more relaxed stance.
However, Pope John XXIII died before he could see the vote. Had he lived, Pope Paul VI might not have issued his firm stance on contraceptives. [1]
St. Hildegard
Hildegard von Bingen was a German nun, musician, poet, philosopher, and medical expert. She’s the patron saint of musicians and writers and a “doctor of the church” because of her detailed scientific texts on medicine.
One of her medical texts includes remedies for abortions. Hildegard wrote about herbs that could induce an abortion or stimulate a woman’s period. These included asarum (wild ginger), farn, feverfew, mullein, oleaster, rifelbere, tansy, white hellebore, yarrow, and yue.
When describing asarum, she mentioned that if “a pregnant woman will eat it… she aborts an infant…” Another entry in Physica and Causae et Curae describes a bath that can help with “retention of the menses” or even induce an abortion, using mullein.
It’s not known if she ever performed these procedures. However, the detailed records suggest that Hildegard had compassion for such practices. [2]
Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I was elected pope in 1978, after Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. Before becoming pope, he was Bishop Albino Luciani and had his own opinions about artificial birth control, opposing Paul VI and his Humanae Vitae.
While the Church debated its stance on birth control, Luciani hoped for a “liberalizing” change from Paul VI. He believed contraception was the most important issue because it directly affected all Catholics, unlike higher-level theology.
Bishop Luciani thought the Catholic Church should allow contraceptives, arguing that birth control would allow families to “distance one birth from another, to give rest to the mother, and to think of the good of children already born, or to be born.”
Despite his views, he accepted the decision to prohibit all forms of contraception. [3]
St. Antoninus
Many pro-choice Catholics use St. Antoninus to support their views. Headlines call him “The Patron Saint of Pro-Choice Catholics,” followed by strong arguments for early-term abortions.
They see the Dominican saint as their figure because of his fifteenth-century writings on the procedure. The “brilliant theologian and popular preacher” supported early abortions if the mother’s or child’s health was in danger.
Given that Antoninus was canonized only 64 years after his death, the Church likely didn’t have issues with his life and teachings, even on abortion. [4]
St. Thomas Aquinas
Philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas is seen as one of the greatest minds in Christian scholarship. He’s the patron saint of universities and schools because of his writings, teachings, and positions.
His reputation gives his writings weight. He wrote about ensoulment, or when a fetus gets its soul, concluding that the fetus doesn’t get a human soul until sixty to eighty days after fertilization, just before the first trimester. He then stated that killing anything with a “human soul” is homicide.
Therefore, terminating a pregnancy before human ensoulment wouldn’t be murder. While the saint never explicitly said this, it has fueled arguments of pro-choice Catholics everywhere. [5]
St. Cainnech of Aghaboe
Ireland has many Catholic saints, some of whom performed abortions. One is Cainech, also known as Canice or Kenneth, who lived in sixth-century Ireland. He served as a priest, poet, and theologian and built monasteries across Ireland and Scotland. He is known for converting the Picts, but he also performed an abortion.
There’s an account of St. Cainnech “[blessing] the belly” of a nun who came with a child after having a secret affair. While not much is known about this, it’s one of a few recorded abortions in medieval Irish history. [6]
St. Áed mac Bricc
Áed lived in sixth-century Ireland, during Cainnech’s time. He’s known for his dedication as a bishop, founding a religious community, and performing miracles. His most famous miracle is curing St. Brigid of a headache.
His most controversial miracle is an abortion. According to the story, a nun under his supervision was pregnant. After she confessed, he miraculously removed the infant from her womb. [7]
St. Ciarán (Kieran) of Saigir
Considered the “firstborn of the Irish saints,” Ciarán of Saigir lived a devout life before St. Patrick. He served as a bishop, missionary, and miracle worker across Ireland and abroad.
One of his miracles includes restoring the virtue of a raped nun named Bruinnech. The account says, “When the man of God returned to the monastery with the girl, she confessed that she was pregnant. Then the man of God, led by the zeal of justice, not wishing the serpent’s seed to quicken, pressed down on her womb with the sign of the cross and forced her womb to be emptied.” [8]
St. Brigid of Kildare
The most famous saint on record for performing an abortion is St. Brigid. Her associations are tangled with the Celtic goddess of the same name, and she’s the patron of poetry, nature, craftsmanship, and Ireland. She worked as an abbess and performed miracles, according to her biography written by Cogitosus.
Her miracles include converting water into beer, healing the sick, and magically making her cloak acres large to build her monastery.
Cogitosus also tells of an abortion she performed. One of her nuns was with child, and Brigid relieved the woman of her pregnancy, “causing the foetus to disappear without coming to birth and without pain.” [9]
Dorothy Day
Not yet a saint, American political activist Dorothy Day is an example of a conflicted Catholic on abortion. Before becoming a steward for the Catholic Church, she had an abortion at 22, pressured by her partner, a journalist, which she regretted.
She attempted suicide twice and believed God would punish her by making her infertile. Eventually, she married, had a daughter, and dedicated herself to the Catholic faith and human rights.
While Day’s stance on abortion was unfavorable, she showed compassion and understanding, making her a relatable figure for those with complicated feelings about the issue. [10]
These stories show a complex history within the Catholic Church regarding abortion and contraception. Despite the Church’s official stance, historical figures, including saints and popes, have shown varying degrees of acceptance or performed actions that contradict these teachings. From St. Hildegard’s remedies to Pope John XXIII’s openness to change, these accounts offer a nuanced perspective on the Church’s relationship with reproductive health.
What are your thoughts on these historical perspectives? Leave your comment below!
