Hundreds Protest Catholic Church’s Stand on Abortion

More than 1,250 persons, mostly women, demonstrated in New York, Los Angeles and the nation’s capital Saturday to protest the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion and contraception.

“Abortion is a woman’s right. When will the Pope see the light?” the crowd chanted as it walked to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters here.

Judy Goldsmith, president of the National Organization for Women, cited the women “who have suffered or died because of the Catholic hierarchy’s callous opposition to safe, legal abortion and birth control.”

Similar rallies were held across the country. In Los Angeles, about 100 protesters marched in front of the chancery for the Roman Catholic archdiocese, chanting: “Not the church, not the state--women will decide their fate.”