Pope John Paul II writes in his encyclical letter Evangelium vitae (´The Gospel of Life"), that while abortion is an ´unspeakable crime," he recognizes that ´the decision to have an abortion is often tragic and painful for the mother." (EV, 58). "As well as the mother, there are often other people too who decide upon the death of the child in the womb. In the first place, the father of the child may be to blame, not only when he directly pressures the woman to have an abortion, but also when he indirectly encourages such a decision on her part by leaving her alone to face the problems of pregnancy ... Nor can one overlook the pressures which sometimes come from the wider family circle and from friends. Sometimes, the woman is subjected to such strong pressure that she feels psychologically forced to have an abortion. Certainly, in this case, the moral responsibility lies particularly with those who have directly or indirectly obliged her to have an abortion" (EV, 59). The pope gives women hope: "Try to understand what happened to you and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of Mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the sacrament of reconciliation" (EV, 99).