William and Kate’s child has been described as the most eagerly awaited royal baby since William was born in 1982.

As soon as Queen Elizabeth was informed that her great-grandson had arrived, an official announcement was posted on an ornate, wooden easel in front of Buckingham Palace.  The monarchy, keeping up with modern technology, used social media to inform people worldwide. The official announcement was made on Twitter and Facebook, and the news media was formally notified.

According to published reports, for the first time in history of royal births, “Twitter and Facebook have replaced cables and radio announcements, which mean that the new royal baby will be the first to own a hashtag – and the first to receive thousands of instant blessings and well wishes from around the world.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury even joined in the flurry of activity on Twitter, along with celebrities, politicians, and people around the world, tweeting his thoughts and prayers for the family.

Social media not only announced a royal birth this week, but in recent weeks social media also saved a baby’s life.  News sources have confirmed that the Rev. Thomas Vander Woude found out a young couple was planning to abort their unborn baby who had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome.

The mother, who remains unidentified for privacy reasons, was almost six months pregnant and lived in a state that prohibits abortions past 24 weeks – reportedly the age of viability for most U.S. hospitals.

Woude reached out to the couple, asking them to deliver the child and he would help find an adoptive family” willing to make a lifelong commitment to parent their child,” states The Washington Times.

The following urgent message was posted on the Facebook page of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Va., “There is a couple in another state who has contacted an adoption agency looking for a family to adopt their Down Syndrome unborn baby.  If a couple has not been found by today they plan to abort the baby.  If you are interested in adopting this baby, contact Fr. VW immediately.”

The message went on to say, “We are asking all to pray for this baby and…that this couple realize the importance of human life and do not abort this beautiful gift of God.”  Statistics show 80 to 90 percent of the unborn prenatally diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted in the U.S. and the U.K., many after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Within 24 hours, the church received more than 900 emails from all over the U.S., U.K., and other countries. The phone did not stop ringing for hours. Church staff member Martha Drennen said, “It was a beautiful witness all day long that so many people wanted this child and believed in the dignity of that child – Down Syndrome or not.”  The parents of this child are reviewing three families with the help of an adoption agency.

Every life is precious, both born and unborn, royal family or common folks, because each one of us is created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27).  And, God has a plan and purpose for every life (Jeremiah 29:11).

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Jan White is an award-winning religion columnist. Her email address is jwhite@andycable.com.