Abortion and the medieval Catholic church

The Catholic church has been accused of inconsistency in its attitude to abortion over the centuries. In the middle ages, 40 days was the time when "quickening" or life was considered to begin, the current position is that it begins at conception.

The Church is merely basing its ethical judgements on the current state of scientific knowledge, which has advanced considerably from the Middle Ages. Access to an understanding of the embryo was not technologically possible until the modern era.

The Catholic church bases many of its moral positions on Natural Law as discovered through the light of Reason, not just on scripture.