Churches and pro-lifers must act following pro-abortion European Parliament vote London, - Church leaders and pro-life groups in individual European Union countries must work to make the right to life the top political issue, says the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC).

SPUC's call was made following today's vote in the European Parliament to approve a resolution calling on the European Union (EU) to promote abortion and same-sex unions throughout the EU.

The resolution, authored by Giusto Catania of the Italian Communist party, is based on the Charter of Fundamental Rights, part of the Lisbon treaty, despite the fact that neither the charter nor the Lisbon treaty have been passed into law.

Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "The resolution passed today is soft-law pressure for abortion to be made a right in every EU member-state. The resolution violates national laws on conscientious objection to abortion and on public funding for abortion. The resolution calls for the recognition of a so-called right to abortion - yet not one international treaty or human rights court has recognised any such right. Abortion is the most contentious issue at United Nations conferences and any attempt even to imply a right to abortion creates heated controversy between national delegations. "Religious leaders and pro-life groups throughout Europe must shake off their complacency about the EU and mobilise religious believers for pro-life action. The message everyone must hear is that the right to life is the most important political issue, because the right to life is the indispensable foundation of all other rights. Failure to act will mean that countless millions of unborn children will die because of the EU's promotion of abortion both inside and outside Europe."