Vatican (CWN) -- Italian pro-life activists, by providing aid to women facing difficult pregnancies, were able to forestall 3,500 abortions in Italy during 1996-- a number representing 3 percent of the annual abortion rate in that country. The annual assembly of pro-lifers at Chianciano Terme also happily greeted the news that the number of lives saved had risen by 28 percent over the previous year's total.

Immigrants recently arrived in Italy accounted for 49 percent of the women assisted by the 238 crisis-pregnancy centers represented at the meeting. This, too, was an enormous increase; in 1988 the immigrant representation was only 10 percent.

All of the assistance offered to young expectant mothers -- including adoption services, medical care, and financial aid -- was accomplished "solely by volunteer efforts, without any form of public aid," the pro-life workers were reminded.