The New Catholic Encyclopedia says that the soul is “created by God and infused into the body at conception.” It also says that the doctrine of the immortal soul “is one of the cornerstones” of Christendom’s churches.

The book Official Catholic Teachings says that the church insists on the immortal-soul belief because not believing it “would render meaningless or unintelligible her prayers, her funeral rites and the religious acts offered for the dead.”