The Bishop of Gozo has linked divorce with abortion, telling a pro-life activity yesterday that research showed that there was a link between unstable families and abortion.

"Where the family is united, pregnancy is likely to be accepted and celebrated, but where the family is broken, such as in the case of divorced parents, there is a higher probability that life is refused and threatened," Mgr Mario Grech said.

Speaking in Victoria, Mgr Grech said it was important that Maltese society did not lose its conscience in favour of life. Even if there was only one abortion, society had a duty to speak out in favour of life.

Among the things which society could do to deter abortion was better education on true love and appreciation of sexuality. Education on the absolute value of life was urgent, Mgr Grech said.

After speaking on the need for stable families, Mgr Grech said society also needed to fight poverty. It sometimes happened, he said, that when unplanned pregnancy took place, the couple might consider abortion because of a lack of financial means to raise the child. When there was poverty, man because miserly with life.

Mgr Grech also underlined the importance of counselling services. particularly to women who might be considering abortion and when the child was handicapped.

Mgr Grech thanked Dar Guzeppa Debono which, for the past 25 years, has been a means how the Church in Gozo helped single mothers and strengthened the mentality against abortion and in favour of life.