The sense of joy experienced by the two women in today's Gospel is palpable. Mary has the report, given her by the angel of Elizabeth's pregnancy, verified and the older woman acknowledges and reassures Mary that her child is from God. We know that the news of an unexpected pregnancy does not always yield such a happy response. Nevertheless, all pregnancies offer the potential for new life. Every new human being is unprecedented and unrepeatable. Induced abortion is therefore simply not a choice for anyone who values life. It is incumbent on Catholics to defend the right to life for unborn children and to strive in every way to support women, in whatever circumstances, so that they can give birth knowing they have a community to assist either with adoption or bringing up the child themselves. Likewise, Catholics must have compassion and empathy for women and men damaged by the trauma of inflicted by abortion as well as the grief occasioned by miscarriages and still-births. It is not enough to speak words we need to act if children in the womb and their mothers-to-be are to be given a chance to live with dignity and flourish in the future. It is also good to remember that just because something is legal it does not mean that it is moral. This goes for abortion as much as it does for other things like prostitution that damage the dignity of our fellow human beings.
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