O’Connor Prays Outside Abortion Clinic : Protest: The cardinal defies a death threat as he leads 1,500 marchers in New York. Supporters hope his presence will help escalate demonstrations.

NEW YORK — In a dramatic escalation of the battle over abortion, New York’s Cardinal John J. O’Connor led a march to a Manhattan women’s clinic Saturday, where he prayed on the street while opponents jeered and shouted “shame.”

The presence of one of the nation’s highest-ranking Catholic church officials further underscored the bitter abortion debate and served as a prelude for what anti-abortion activists hope will be far larger demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention next month in New York.

At least eight people were arrested Saturday for protesting the prelate’s presence.

O’Connor, who received heavy police protection, defied a death threat, which he sought to dismiss with humor.

Before leading the 13-block march to the Eastern Women’s Services clinic, the cardinal celebrated Mass at St. Agnes Church near Grand Central Terminal. He told an overflow crowd that police had warned that his life could be in danger.

“There was a call last night to police and the woman who called said that if she was with me (in the protest), she would shoot me,” O’Connor said, “despite the possible pleasure that would give my auxiliary bishops.”

The audience broke into laughter.

The cardinal stressed that the protest was not designed to block entrance to the clinic, but was merely a prayer service. And later, on the street in front of the clinic, O’Connor said the rosary--a rosary he said was given to him by Mother Teresa.

About 1,500 anti-abortion demonstrators on the street were met by about 800 abortion-rights advocates. Taunts and catcalls filled the air.

O’Connor continued to pray on the street as a handful of women were escorted into the clinic. Plastic sheets covered their heads to prevent them from being identified, and a spokeswoman for the clinic said that abortions were performed as usual.

The decision by O’Connor to take to the streets for a prayer service in front of an abortion clinic was an extension of his previous position as one of the nation’s strongest anti-abortion advocates.

But last Sunday, in his sermon at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, he made clear the boundaries of his protest. O’Connor stressed that he would not try to block the entrance to the abortion clinic nor would he hand out literature.

“There will be no materials distributed, and there will be no confronting anyone,” he told his parishioners. “We will simply be praying.”

O’Connor’s decision to hold the prayer service drew praise from anti-abortion activists, including Randall Terry, the head of Operation Rescue, which employs civil disobedience to try to close abortion clinics.

Terry said the cardinal’s presence was “historic” and he hoped it would signal the beginning of bishops throughout the nation taking to the streets.