Abortion is still a sin. Right? Cardinal Mahony?

His Eminence Roger Cardinal Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles urges his flock to vote Yes on Proposition 85 this November, which requires a physician to notify at lease one parent 48 hours before performing an abortion on a girl under 18.

As you may know, under current California law a minor girl under the age of 18 cannot leave school to go on a field trip, she cannot get a flu shot, a tooth pulled, or even an aspirin from the school nurse without one of her parents being notified. Yet that same child -- a girl as young as 12 years old -- can be taken by a complete stranger to an abortion center, put under general anesthesia, and undergo a surgical or chemical abortion without her parents’ knowledge or consent.

This is why I urge you to support, work for and vote YES on Proposition 85, the Parents’ Right to Know and Child Protection Initiative, on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7th.

That's good. But isn't there something missing from his message?

Parents have a duty to protect their own children. Engaged in the raising of their daughter, parents have insight into what is best for their children; they know her personal and medical history. Parents are the best ones to help a minor daughter understand all her options if she becomes pregnant. Without parental involvement, other influences can dominate.

Parental notification laws are desperately needed to protect young girls.

Wait a sec.

I'm all for protecting young girls from the horror of abortion. But what about protecting innocent babies? There's no mention of this.

"Parents are the best ones to help a minor understand all her options if she becomes pregnant."

All her options? Presumably, His Eminence is referring to options such as adoption. Presumably. But why doesn't he say so?

More to the point, why doesn't he tell his flock what is not an option?

The Cardinal makes a strong case for the effectiveness of parental notification laws in preventing "secret abortions," and that's a good thing.

What he does not do is state what I don't think "goes without saying." He doesn't say -- and I wish he did -- that abortion is not an option because it is murder and murder is a sin.