Pressing the Abortion Issue

(5 of 5)
fundamentalism that will settle for nothing less than total acceptance of its views."

But if Cuomo is a devout Catholic, why does he not use his office to urge support of the church's drive to end all abortions? The Governor argued that he does not believe that, even if enacted, an abortion ban could be enforced or would achieve the goals that the church seeks. "It would be Prohibition revisited." As for stopping Medicaid funding of abortions, Cuomo claimed that poor women would merely find other ways to obtain abortions, while "the rich and middle classes" would be unaffected. "The hard truth is that abortion is not a failure of government. No agency forces women to have abortions, but abortions go on." Cuomo suggested that before Catholic leaders seek laws prohibiting non-Catholics from having abortions, they must convince their own church members that they should accept the church's teachings on the subject. Said he: "Despite the sermons and pleadings of parents and priests and prelates, we Catholics apparently believe—and perhaps act—little differently from those who don't share our commitment."

At a dinner meeting of Italian-Americans in New York City at week's end, both Ferraro and O'Connor spoke. But guests expecting more verbal fireworks about abortion were disappointed. Neither challenged the other. They patted each other's hands and smiled fleetingly before parting. Yet the emotions stirred by the religious controversy seemed unlikely to subside during the remaining days of the presidential campaign.

—By EdMagnuson. Reported by David Beckwith with Ferraro and Elizabeth Taylor/South Bend