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.

What Is Homeschooling, and Am I Qualified to Homeschool My Child?

By Susan Ciancio / June 25, 2024 /
bookshelf with classic books

The education of children is of vital importance. And it’s a parent’s first responsibility. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that parents “bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues.” Understanding…

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What Is Pronatalism?

By Susan Ciancio / June 14, 2024 /

In 2014 in Fourni, Greece, not one single baby was born. The same was true in 2015. In 2012, only one child was born in the town of Lestijärvi, Finland. What is happening in these countries is not an anomaly. Countries throughout Europe are seeing population declines that their governments are trying desperately to reverse.…

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The Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning

By Susan Ciancio / June 13, 2024 /
natural family planning chart

In the US, we value our freedom. The developers of the birth control pill capitalized on this desire. They claim the pill gives women freedom to control their bodies and their reproduction. When you tell a lie often enough, people begin to believe it. In this case, they literally swallow it. But freedom doesn’t come…

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Teen Porn Addiction

By Susan Ciancio / June 11, 2024 /
teenage girl on her phone in a coffee shop

Porn is something that many people are reluctant to talk about. It makes us uncomfortable. Sometimes we don’t want to talk about it because it’s embarrassing. Or it’s embarrassing to our children. But, with the prevalence of porn and the ease with which kids can access it, these are conversations we must have in order…

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Is Antinatalism Creeping into Society?

By Susan Ciancio / June 4, 2024 /
thomas malthus

Imagine a world where no human beings exist. Animals are free to roam. Plants grow uninhibited. The biggest and strongest survive. This is the ultimate goal of antinatalism. From a Christian perspective, it’s difficult to imagine the purpose of a world with no humans. We know from the book of Genesis that God did not…

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church on IVF

By Susan Ciancio / June 4, 2024 /
embryologist at a liquid nitrogen bank containing sperm and egg samples

Nowhere else on earth except on a skinny white plastic stick can two vertical lines create such immense joy. What’s represented by those two lines—the culmination of marital love and unity—is the fulfillment of long-held hopes and dreams. Indeed, they often evoke tears of happiness and maybe even a little victory dance. These two lines…

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Does Planned Parenthood Do Ultrasounds?

By Susan Ciancio / May 6, 2024 /
3d ultrasound on screen in a hospital

Yes. And no. At the majority of its clinics, Planned Parenthood does ultrasounds for just one reason: abortion. What Are Ultrasounds? An ultrasound is “a medical test that uses high-frequency sound waves to capture live images from the inside of your body.” It’s a technology similar to radar or sonar. And though scientists studied these…

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LeRoy Carhart: Secrets of a Late-Term Abortionist

By Susan Ciancio / April 17, 2024 /

Kindness. Courtesy. Justice. Respect. Love. They are words that could have been spoken by Christ. He told us that we must love God with our whole selves and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Love is not just a feeling; it’s an action. If you love both God and your neighbor, then kindness, courtesy,…

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What Percentage of Marriages Survive Infidelity?

By Susan Ciancio / March 26, 2024 /

You say your “I dos,” you excitedly build a life together, you have children, you buy a house, you go to work, and then the unimaginable happens. You find out that your spouse has cheated on you, or maybe you have cheated on your spouse. The life you built comes crashing down. You feel shattered,…

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Helping Christians with Porn Addictions

By Susan Ciancio / March 18, 2024 /
Pornography: Provoking Violence, Debasing Human Sexuality

We all have something about ourselves that we don’t like, that we want to change, or that we’re embarrassed about. That’s just part of life. But there are sins that threaten to swallow us, that seek to absorb us, and that change the person we were meant to be. Those sins often lead to guilt…

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