Representatives from the Illinois Pro-Life Action League left a meeting Wednesday with Sister Sheila Lyne, commissioner of the Chicago Health Department, ”guardedly optimistic” that Lyne`s beliefs parallel theirs.
But Timothy Hadac, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Public Health, said after the anti-abortion group met for an hour with Lyne that none of Lyne`s opinions or viewpoints had changed.
Lyne has met with numerous groups, including abortion rights supporters, gay and lesbian activists and AIDS health care workers, since she was appointed health commissioner by Mayor Richard Daley in February.
Lyne, a Catholic nun, has said that neither her religious affiliation nor her personal opposition to abortion will interfere with her duty to implement the Health Department programs for AIDS, condoms and contraception.
But that has not curtailed various groups from meeting with her to discuss her opinions and the departmental policies on the controversial issues.
”We`re guardedly optimistic,” said Joseph Scheidler, executive director of the group, as he and about 10 others left the meeting with Lyne. ”She`s against abortion . . . We believe we have a good person here.”
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Scheidler said that he believed Lyne`s personal opposition to abortion will lead her to align herself with programs the league favors.