Population conference

I have been closely following the news coming out of the International Population Conference in Cairo as published by The Jakarta Post. However, I find that the Post has so far not carried the message sent by the Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa to the Conference. In this message, she has called for a fight against abortion and has described it as the greatest destroyer of peace in the world. "If a mother can kill her own child, what is there to stop you and me from killing each other? The only one who has the right to take life is the one who has created it," she said.

"God has created a world big enough for all the lives He wishes to be born. It is only our hearts that are not big enough to want and accept them." Describing life as the most beautiful gift of God, she said "It is painful to see what is happening today in so many places around the world; life being deliberately destroyed by war, violence and abortion."

Assuring that she would take in all those children of unwed mothers, she said: "If there is a child that you don't want or can't feed or educate, give that child to me. I will not refuse any child. I will give a home, or find loving parents for him or for her."

"We are fighting abortion by adoption and have given thousands of children to caring families. And it is so beautiful to see the love and unity that a child brings to a family." So far about 3,000 children have been adopted from the Shisu Bhavan run by her.

"If all the money that is being spent on finding ways to kill people was used to feed and house them, how beautiful the world would be. We are too often afraid of sacrifices we might have to make," she has stated in her message to the Conference.

Let us hope that this International Conference on Population concludes its deliberations taking into consideration the moral aspects of abortion. And Mother Teresa's message aptly deals with this issue.

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta