Moral Teachings

The Church is not against stem cell research. She is against one kind of stem cell research — and the distinction matters enormously.

IVF has brought joy to many families, so the Catholic Church's opposition to it can seem harsh, even cruel, to couples longing for a child. Here are the reasons behind the teaching, what happens to 'spare' embryos, what the Church supports instead, and her care for every child however conceived.

Many countries now recognise same-sex marriage, and the Catholic Church's teaching that marriage is the union of a man and a woman is often seen as outdated or unkind. Here is what the Church actually teaches, the reasons she gives from both Scripture and natural law, and her call to respect and love for every person.