Cardinal criticizes abortion verdict

CHICAGO, April 20 (UPI) _ Chicago Cardinal Francis George criticized a verdict reached in U.S. District Court that found anti-abortion protestors guilty of violating federal racketeering laws.

In a statement Monday George called the decision ``unjust'' and said it will likely have a chilling effect on constitutional freedoms of speech and religion.

A four-woman, two-man jury in Chicago reached the verdict after three days of deliberation. The class action suit was filed 12 years ago by the National Organization for Women.

The defendants included Operation Rescue, the Pro-Life Action League, its director Joseph Scheidler and several other individuals.

Following a line of reasoning used by defense attorneys in the case, the head of the Archdiocese of Chicago said, ``If the courts had been used to stop the organized sit-ins at lunch counters throughout the South in the 60's, there would have been no civil rights movement.''

George added, ``I will continue to pray for the defendants in the case, who are enduring tremendous adversity to uphold the principle of freedom of speech for all Americans.''

George said the Archdiocese would consider joining an appeal of the decision by filing a friend of the court brief.