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Famous Churchman Gave His Son Away
On the Father Front, Vol. 4, No. 3, Fall, 1991
Famous Churchman Gave His Son Away
On the Father Front, Vol. 4, No. 3, Fall, 1991
Peter Abelard, one of the most famous churchmen of the 12th century, sired a son born to his teenage mistress Heloise. After childbirth, the mother recovered in a convent near Paris. Peter gave the infant to his sister for upbringing, insisting that such drudgery was not suited to him. Said Abelard: "Who intent upon sacred and philosophical reflection could endure the squalling...and constant dirt of little children?"
