By Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Pillars of Faith - There is much confusion surrounding remarks from the Holy Father regarding the sanctity of human life and the moral clarity of the Church’s teaching. While some may call these “complex ethical issues,” I must affirm without hesitation that on matters of life and death, the truth is not complex – it is clear, revealed, and unchanging... The Catholic Church has always taught that every human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred. Abortion is the deliberate taking of innocent life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states plainly: “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception” (CCC 2270). There is no ambiguity here.