[JURIST] After a referendum to liberalize Italy's fertility laws failed [JURIST report] on Monday, church leaders and Italian politicians are sending some conflicting signals about the legal future of abortion in the country, which legalized abortion in 1978 and strongly supported choice in a 1981 referendum. Cardinal Camillo Ruini, chairman of the Italian bishops' conference which encouraged Catholic voters to boycott the fertility poll, said Tuesday while the church remains opposed to abortion, "we don't want to change the law." [Reuters report] But Regional Affairs Minister Enrico La Loggia said while the law won't be changed right away, he wouldn't "rule out a opening a reflection" [Ireland Online report] on the issue eventually.