About the Author

Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. Since 2003, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials, and website content. Fourteen of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of its Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program, an educational nonprofit program for k-12 students.

May Catholics Get the COVID Vaccine?

By Susan Ciancio / December 8, 2021 /
the johnson and johnson covid-19 vaccine

Our world has been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus continues to mutate, there is one thing we can be sure of: COVID will be around for quite some time. At the height of the pandemic, as businesses, schools, and other activities closed down, people clamored for a vaccine—something to make this nightmare…

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Theology of the Body for Kids

By Susan Ciancio / November 3, 2021 /

Young children are bombarded with “woke” language and ideology earlier and earlier in life. From books that normalize transgenderism to school curriculum that does the same, our world has moved further and further away from a society that values the human body. No longer are our bodies seen as gifts. What are parents to do?…

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Answering Critiques of the Theology of the Body

By Susan Ciancio / September 29, 2021 /
young couple happy

What we know today as the Theology of the Body began as a collection of 129 papal addresses given by Pope John Paul II during his regular Wednesday audiences. He gave these talks over the course of five years—from September 5, 1979, through November 28, 1984. These talks cover many topics, including the true purpose…

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Theology of the Body: FAQ

By Susan Ciancio / September 16, 2021 /
statue of john paul ii in front of a church

From September 5, 1979, through November 28, 1984, in his Wednesday general audiences, Pope John Paul II spoke about the unique and holy love between a man and a woman. This collection of 129 papal addresses was later compiled into the cohesive document we know today as the Theology of the Body. Here we’ve compiled…

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Using an NFP Chart: The Sympto-Thermal Method

By Susan Ciancio / September 7, 2021 /
early human development pre implantation

Natural family planning has helped thousands of couples conceive a baby. In addition, it’s a natural and moral method of spacing children. Unfortunately, many people decide against using NFP without knowing or understanding the facts. They may think NFP doesn’t work. They may have looked into it but assumed it to be too difficult. Or…

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Alternatives to Abortion

By Susan Ciancio / August 31, 2021 /
Sad teenager looking at positive pregnancy test, mother supporting daughter

Scared. Trapped. Confused. Lonely. Unsure where to turn for help. These are just some of the emotions that new moms feel when they find out they have become unexpectedly pregnant. And these are all perfectly normal emotions. It’s frightening thinking that you don’t have options. It’s scary not knowing where to get help. But when…

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Why Is Abortion Wrong?

By Susan Ciancio / August 27, 2021 /
Illustration of a human fetus at 20 weeks

Abortion—the taking of a preborn baby’s life—is a contentious topic. But when we examine the facts, we see many reasons why abortion is wrong. It’s not just religion that tells us abortion is wrong, for we don’t need religion to tell us that taking a preborn baby’s life, often very violently, is a grave evil.…

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Tools Used for Abortion

By Susan Ciancio / August 13, 2021 /
A doctor holds gynecological instruments in his hand. Examination by a gynecologist.

There’s no denying that abortion is a huge money-making business. But there’s also no denying that it’s a gruesome business, for in every abortion a preborn baby is killed. Over the last couple hundred years, people have come up with a myriad of ways to not only kill the baby, but to extract him from…

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Adoption or Abortion?

By Susan Ciancio / July 16, 2021 /
African mother holding adopted child

When most people hear the word hero, they likely picture someone who has saved a life. Perhaps it’s a military person who has valiantly fought for his country. Maybe it’s a firefighter who has saved people from a burning building. Or possibly it’s a nurse or doctor who has brought a patient back from the…

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Catholic Bioethics and the Moral Treatment of Human Beings

By Susan Ciancio / June 25, 2021 /
young nurse caring for an elderly man

Respect, compassion, care, kindness, empathy, and love. These actions come about when people recognize the inherent dignity in every person. And nowhere is it more important to understand people’s inherent dignity than in a capacity where someone has to take care of another or provide for his well-being. This occurs most often in the medical…

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