Pope condemns abortion, stresses family values

Pope John Paul condemned abortion in unusually strong terms Sunday, describing it as a horrible evil for which the human race had still not found a cure. In a toughly worded homily he also compared modern industrial man to the prodigal son.

Speaking on the second day of a four-day visit to Austria, the Pope recalled a warning he sounded two years ago of an alarming degeneration of basic Christian values. His exceptionally strong language stemmed from the fact that Austria, despite its 88 percent Catholic population, has for several years allowed abortion on demand during the first three months of pregancy, church sources said.