Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/Additional Canons 2/Canons/Canon XCI

Canon XCI.

who give drugs for procuring abortion, and those who receive poisons to kill the f&#339;tus, are subjected to the penalty of murder.

Notes.

Whoever gives or receives medicine to produce abortion is a homicide.

See Canon XXI. of Ancyra, and Canon II. of St. Basil; to wit, &#8220;She who purposely destroys the f&#339;tus, shall suffer the punishment of murder.&#160; And we pay no attention to the subtile distinction as to whether the f&#339;tus was formed or unformed.&#160; 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.&#8221;