Catholic teaching holds that unborn life is human life with inherent dignity from the moment of conception. It must therefore be respected and protected as the life of a person, regardless of developmental stage, disability, dependence, or whether the child has been born. 1 2

This teaching rests on several points:

• A new human being begins at fertilization. The embryo is not merely part of the mother’s body or an undifferentiated group of cells; it is a living organism with its own continuous development. 3 4
• Personal dignity begins at conception. The Church teaches that the human being must be “respected and treated as a person” from conception, and that the right to life belongs to the unborn child. 5 6
• Moral value does not increase gradually. Differences in age, development, consciousness, or health do not justify treating one human life as less valuable than another. 3 7
• Direct abortion is gravely wrong. The Church defines procured abortion as the deliberate and direct killing of a human being from conception to birth, and therefore rejects it as a serious violation of human dignity. 2
• Medical care may be provided. Procedures such as prenatal diagnosis can be morally acceptable when they respect the child’s life and integrity and aim at protection or healing, not destruction. 8

The Church distinguishes between affirming the unborn child’s full moral protection and resolving every philosophical question about precisely when the spiritual soul is present. The Magisterium has not defined that philosophical question experimentally; nevertheless, because the embryo is a human individual and may not be intentionally killed, it must receive the unconditional respect owed to a human person. 6 7