Reverence for Life
We hold life sacred from conception to natural death. We support policies and services that assist pregnant women to make life-affirming choices.
Background: Provider Conscience Regulations
"Freedom of conscience is not a sectarian, religious, or Catholic belief. It is an American conviction. We have conscientious objection against war for those who cannot fight. We have conscientious objection for doctors against being involved in administering the death penalty." Learn more about the concept and history of conscience protection for health care providers in this article by Fr. Gerald D. Coleman, S.S., vice president for Corporate Ethics for the Daughters of Charity Health System, Province of the West, and a lecturer in moral theology at Santa Clara University.
The newest statement from the California Catholic Conference is 
Every four years the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) encourages us to examine our call to be engaged in public policy decisions. Catholics generally take their participation in their communities seriously, but have become just as susceptible to the 30-second sound bite and fear-inducing pundits as the next person.
Catholic social teaching brings the Gospel message to the issues of our modern world. It is summarized here with