Pope Benedict's encyclical is an excellent example of the best that Catholic scholarship and leadership has to offer. It serves as a moral compass that aligns logic, Scripture, and sound Church teaching to guide us through the problems of our age. The Church's unchanging mission is to remind the world of the higher things, causing us to reflect on the effect of our actions not only in time but also in eternity. The Popes have consistently done this is by reminding us of the inherent and inestimable value of human life.