European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 3, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 7 catholics defend dissent on abortion Issue Washington a in a new Challenge to roman Catholic Church Lead ers More than 1,000 catholics have published a broadside defending dissent on abortion and blasting Vatican reprisals against dissenters. The declaration published As a full Page advertisement in sunday s new York times includes signatures of at least five priests and 40 nuns sponsors said. Many signers did t include affiliations. Frances Kissling president of catholics for a free Choice which helped organize the protest said in an interview that a main goal of the statement is to Send a Clear message to the Vatican that catholics will not be intimidated by reprisals against catholics who speak out. That reprisals will Lead to More Public comment rather than  seventeen months ago a smaller group of catholics touched off what has become a substantial controversy within the Church with a similar and contending that staunch opposition to abortion by Pope John Paul ii and other Church leaders was not the Only legitimate Catholic position. That statement published at the height of the 1984 presidential Campaign was in tended to counter Church leaders criticism of democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro a Catholic for her Posi Tion that she was opposed to abortion but not in favor of outlawing it. The first and also published in the times was signed by 97 people including some two dozen nuns whom the Vatican then threatened with expulsion from their religious orders unless they recanted. As Many As nine of those cases have been settled with understandings that apparently fell Short of Public retractions. But the dispute has not gone away. Noting the expulsion threats and other efforts to penalize original signers the new statement says in a declaration of Solidarity such reprisals consciously or unconsciously have a chilling effect on the right to responsible dissent within the Church on academic Freedom in Catholic colleges and universities and on the right to free speech and participation in the . Political process. Such reprisals cannot be condoned or tolerated in Church or  William Ryan associate Public affairs Secretary for the . Catholic conference said the Bishops National organization had no formal reaction to the new and and was standing with a statement Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago made last sep tember. In that statement prompted by the first and and by continuing discussion of it Ber Nardin said a Catholic who chooses to Dis sent from the Church s anti abortion stance or to support dissent from it is dissenting not Only from Church Law but from a higher Law which the Church seeks to observe and  such dissent can in no Way be seen As legitimate alternative teaching he said. On the other hand sunday s published statement said we believe that catholics who in Good conscience take positions on the difficult questions of Legal abortion and other controversial issues that differ from the official hierarchical positions act within their rights and responsibilities As catholics and  the and Cost $36,137, sponsors said. Seventeen of the original signers including 12 of the nuns released a separate statement welcoming the support of the larger group. Their stand and their statement give us Hope that we can build a Church Community where open and honest dialogue on difficult issues is encouraged and where the right to responsible dissent is recognized they said. Author Laura i. Hobson 85, Dies new York not Laura z. Hobson the author of the acclaimed 1947 novel on anti semitism in America gentleman s agreement died of cancer at new York Hospital Friday night. She was 85 years old and had lived in new York almost All her life. A Zesty woman who grappled with painful suppressed subjects before their time Hobson wrote nine novels an autobiography hundreds of Short stories and Magazine articles and news features and advertising copy in a career that spanned six dec Ades. But for All her prodigious literary output it was gentleman s agreement Hobson s searing por trait of insidious pervasive anti. Of semitism in postwar american life a of Vahi that secured her lasting Fame. It  Ilsk to Ker near v fur Vears to  it was an Era of open but Subtle Novoson bigotry. Hotels and other places were restricted. Jobs and housing were denied to jews. Public discourse was so Rife with anti semitism that rep. John e. Rankin of Mississippi Drew applause in Congress by describing columnist Walter Winchell As a  i be got an idea for a Book that the magazines will never look at the movies won t touch and the Public won t buy but i have to do it Hobson told the publisher Simon & schuster. As it turned out she was wrong. Gentleman s agreement the Story of a Gentile writer who poses As a jew to learn of anti semitism first hand for a Magazine article appeared in february 1947 and immediately won critical and popular acclaim remaining at the top of the Best seller lists for months and eventually Selling More than 1.6 million copies. The 20th Century Fox motion picture based on the Book was also an enormous Success winning the Academy award As the Best film of 1947 and the new York film critics Best film citation. Hobson had written one earlier novel the trespass ers about the plight of Europe s world War ii exiles turned away from Haven in the United states. It appeared in 1943 to relatively poor reviews. Her later novels included the other father 1950the celebrity 1951first papers 1964consenting adult 1975and her last untold millions 1982. The first volume of her autobiography Laura z a life appeared in 1983, and she was working on a second volume at the time of her death. Born Laura Kean Zametkin she acquired the surname Hobson through marriage. She was born in new York City on june 19, 1900, the daughter of Michael and Adel la Kean Zametkin. Although she was jewish she once told an interviewer i grew up in an agnostic Broad minded family. I think of myself As a Plain human being who happens to be an  she obtained a Bachelor s degree from Cornell univer sity and married Thayer Hobson in 1930. The marriage ended in divorce in 1935. She later gave birth to her son Christopher and in 1937, adopted an infant Michael. Hobson s writing career began in the Early 1930s, when she produced copy for an advertising Agency. She later became a reporter for the new York Post and in 1934, joined the promotion staff of the Luce publications time life and Fortune. She wrote her first Short Story in 1935, and was soon writing for Colliers the ladies Home journal Mccall a cosmopolitan and other magazines. Miles to go a photo new York playwright Brent Nicholson gets a Pat on the Back As he begins a 10,000-mile run through the United states to raise Money and consciousness in the Battle against aids. Nicholson 35, says the disease killed seven of his friends. He expects the run which began saturday to last a year and a half. Aids has killed More than 9,100 people in the United states. Traditional Beer break ends for Brewer workers St. Louis a it will be Coffee Breaks not Beer Breaks from now on at Anheuser Busch breweries. The tap went dry for More than 9,000 hourly workers at the company s 11 breweries across the nation saturday As the company ended a longstanding tradition of letting its employees drink free Beer on their Breaks. The tradition is As old As the brewing Industry itself but company officials said times have changed. It is a practice which Anheuser Busch and the brewery workers unions have agreed no longer is appropriate in 1986," said Jim Morice a company spokesman. A statement released by the company said the Beer cutoff is consistent with the company s philosophy of responsibility and moderation in  the cutoff was included in National contracts ratified in january 1985 be tween Anheuser Busch inc. And unions at the breweries. Salaried employees gave up their free Beer last year. In Exchange for giving up the tradition the p7oduction workers have the option of receiving two free cases of Beer a month for Home or other fringe Bene fits of comparable value. Jerry Diekemper a spokesman for teamsters local 1187, which represents bottlers at the St. Louis Plant said Many workers May choose to take an extra Holiday or other benefits rather than the Beer. Anheuser Busch has created a nation Al consumer education Campaign aimed at encouraging people to drink responsibly called know when to say  Nashville cyanide death thought to be suicide Nashville Tenn. Up investigators now suspect suicide in the death of a Man whose cyanide poisoning was first investigated As another in a string of tylenol killings. Police said Friday that Timothy Green 32, bought a Pound of cyanide hours before he died. Medical examiner Charles Harlan said suicide certainly has come to the forefront As a possible cause of death. Green who came to Nashville from Minnesota to become a songwriter and to be with the local Jehovah s witness congregation bought the cyanide from a local firm feb. 18, police sgt. Dave Rob erts said. Friends discovered his body at his duplex sunday. Harlan ruled that Green died of a Mas Sive dose of cyanide and an extra strength tylenol capsule and Container found be Neath Green s bed were taken by Federal officials for testing. The food and drug administration said the capsule contained cyanide. Roberts said the Day that Green Pur chased the cyanide he called his employer to say he was sick. Green had been very sick recently and had undergone surgery two weeks ago for a deviated septum a nose operation. Fra commissioner Frank Young said earlier Friday the cyanide that killed Green was not the same Type that took the life of a new York woman. Diane Elsroth 23, of Peekskill . Died feb. 8 after ingesting a cyanide laced extra strength tylenol capsule. Five Days later Fra agents found a second bottle of cyanide tainted tylenol in a Westchester county ., store. In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died of cyanide laced extra strength tylenol