Office of Respect Life & Human Dignity

Catholic Teachings on Life Issues

The upright conscience calls good and evil by their proper names.
(Second Vatican Council)

Abortion: "The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to contingent on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign." "It is a shame that a child must die so that you can live as you wish." ~ Mother Teresa

Post-abortion aftermath: "I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion...do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope...the Father of mercies is ready to give you His forgiveness and His peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation." ~ Pope John Paul II

Chastity: "Chastity presupposes respect for the rights of the person, in particular, the right to receive information and an education that respect the moral and spiritual dimensions of human life." ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church

Capital Punishment: "The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life...A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil." ~ Pope John Paul II Artificial

Contraception: "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents." ~ Second Vatican Council

Euthanasia: "...suffering, especially suffering in the last moments of life, has a special place in God"s saving plan, it is in fact a sharing in Christ"s passion and a union with the redeeming sacrifice with He offered in obedience to the Father"s will." ~ Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Embryonic stem cell research and human cloning: "No objective, even though noble in itself, such as a foreseeable advantage to science, to other human beings, or to society, can in any way justify experimentation on living human embryos or fetuses, whether viable or not, either inside or outside of the mother"s body." ~ Vatican Council for the Doctrine of the Faith

Vaccines developed for the tissue of aborted babies: "By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God,which urges him to do what is right and avoid what is evil." ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church