Is there an actual quote from John Paul II saying life begins at conception?
The short answer
Yes. In Evangelium Vitae 60, John Paul II rejects the claim that the result of conception is not yet a personal human life, quoting the Church's teaching that "from the time that the ovum is fertilized, a life is begun which is neither that of the father nor the mother; it is rather the life of a new human being with his own growth."
Evangelium Vitae 60
John Paul II notes that some try to justify abortion by claiming the result of conception, at least for a certain number of days, cannot yet be considered a personal human life.
His answer
He replies, quoting the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's Declaration on Procured Abortion (12), that from the time the ovum is fertilized a life begins that is neither the father's nor the mother's, but that of a new human being with his own growth.
Continue exploring
- What does the Catholic Church teach about abortion?Q&A
- Aren't pro-life Catholics who support a war being hypocritical?Q&A
- Can a Catholic believe the U.S. was justified in dropping atomic bombs on Japan?Q&A
- What does the Church teach about euthanasia and assisted suicide?Q&A
- Would it be wrong to sign up for health insurance that covers abortion?Q&A
- Can homologous artificial insemination be permitted as a treatment for male infertility?Q&A