be commended on his honesty in admitting reluctance to speak out loudly and clearly on the issue of abortion. But I would also like to congratulate the courageous banner holders in the photograph illustrating his article.
Silence and censorship are enemies of the pro-life movement. Let us not join the enemy. At the Church encounter in North London referred to by Dr Lupton, one legitimate pro-life voice was silenced when the priests in question refused to invite the candidate from the Pro-Life Alliance Party to take part on the platform.
Dr Lupton's recommended response to the tragedy of abortion is to follow Cardinal Winning's line. This is one of the solutions I heartily endorse. For over 25 years many organisations, in particular the National Charity LIFE, have been providing practical, material and emotional support for women facing crisis pregnancy, and in the last two years have been able to interact with the wonderful work of Cardinal Winning. I myself have been a pregnancy counsellor for 18 years and our centre in Central London has been there for about 40,000 women during that period alone. This is happening all around the country.
However, in the 30 years since abortion was introduced into this country, abortion figures continue to rise and now for the first time in a decade are passing 180,000 a year. 500,000 embryos have been destroyed since the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority started to keep statistics and early destruction of life through the use of the "morning after pill" should be added to these figures. Things are getting worse. The public is blindfolded and numbed.
The other great pro-life Cardinal, Cardinal Hume, had the courage at the time of the General Election to endorse the showing of the Pro-Life Alliance Election Video where the truth about abortion was presented in all its tragic reality. "If abortion is too awful to look at, should we be doing it?" asked the Cardinal from the pulpit.
No one better than a gynaecologist should know that abortion does kill babies, babies who have no voice. We must stand up for their rights no matter how unpopular it may make us. I would ask Dr Lupton to accept the banner bearers and the nonviolent political activists. We cannot win this battle on one front alone.
Yours faithfully, JOSEPHINE QUINTAVALLE London, SW3.