The Right to Life & the Dignity of the Human Person

Along with

•Call to Family, Community & Participation
•Rights & Responsibilities
•Option for the Poor & Vulnerable
•Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers
•Solidarity
•Caring for God's Creation

the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that The Right to Life & the Dignity of the Human Person is one of the seven key themes of Catholic Social Teaching:

"Human life is sacred. Direct attacks on innocent human beings are never morally acceptable. Within our society, life is under direct attack from abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, and destruction of human embryos for research. These intrinsic evils must always be opposed. This teaching also compels us as Catholics to oppose genocide, torture, unjust war, and the use of the death penalty, as well as to pursue peace and help overcome poverty, racism, and other conditions that demean human life."

As per Chapter 3 of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, “The Church sees in men and women, in every person, the living image of God." The late Great John Paul II made this so abundantly clear:

• “the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -for example, the right
  
  
  to health,
  to home,
  to work,
  to family,
  to culture-
  is false & illusory if the right to life, the most basic & fundamental right & the condition for all other personal rights,is not defended with maximum determination” (Pope John Paul II, Christifideles Laici)