European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 10, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday january 10,1989 Missouri Appeal sets stage for s of controversial ruling on abortion to a of twixt a vat / l a to Washington a the supreme court act ing in an Appeal urging reversal of its landmark 1973decision that legalized abortion nationwide agreed monday to review a Missouri Law regulating abortions. The justices said they will study a Federal appeals court ruling that struck Down key provisions of the state Law. Even before monday s action in the Appeal filed by Missouri officials the Case became the most watched Battleground in the continuing political War Over Abor Tion. Justice department lawyers also Are urging the High court to use the Case As a Means of undoing its1973 ruling called Roe is. Wade. But nothing in the Brief order monday suggested the justices will reconsider Roe is. Wade. The court s eventual decision expected by july could resolve the Missouri controversy without significantly changing the 1973 decision or other past ruling son abortion. The 8th . Circuit court of appeals last july 13struck Down the following five provisions among other aspects of the Missouri abortion Law a ban on using Public hospitals or other govern ment run facilities for abortions not necessary to save a woman s life. A ban prohibiting any Public employee from per forming or assisting an abortion. A ban on using taxpayer Money for encouraging or counselling women to have abortions. J a requirement that doctors planning to abort fetus believed to be older than 19 weeks test for weight and lung capacity to determine whether the fetus incapable of surviving outside the womb. A declaration that the life of each human being begins at  the appeals court upheld a provision in the state Law that bans the use of taxpayer Money for perform ing or assisting an abortion. But it said use Ofa Public facility or a Public employee s services cannot be banned if the patient reimburses All such costs. In the Appeal acted on monday Missouri attorney general William l. Webster said the 8th circuit court s ruling expands supreme court precedents i favor of abortion on demand further contracts the supreme court Roundup state s compelling interest in the life of viable unborn children and disregards this court s holdings that abortion is a private matter which government need inno Way  the 1973 decision should itself be reconsidered fit cannot be squared with the disputed Missouri Law Webster said. Last summer William Bradford Reynolds the chief of the Justice department s civil rights division urged Missouri officials to include a Challenge of revs. Wade in the state s Appeal. In a Brief filed two Days after the presidential elec Tion last nov. 8, Justice department lawyers supported Missouri s Appeal. That sparked Molly Yard president of the National organization for women to accuse the Justice department of declaring War on the women of this  in its 1973 ruling the supreme court said women have a constitutional right to abortion based on the right of privacy. The court most recently reaffirmed that ruling in 1983, but is viewed As being deeply divided on the abortion Issue. In other action monday the court agreed to decide whether Congress May outlaw Al sexually explicit Telephone dial up message services dubbed  the justices will judge some time by july the Validity of a 1988 Law that sought to ban All obscene and indecent messages on dial a porn services. Allowed criminal defendants to exclude potential jurors because of their race. In a Case involving a Black Man s murder by Kun flux klan members the court rejected arguments by Alabama prosecutors sup ported by Law enforcement officials nationwide tha defense lawyers unlawfully Are seeking to i panel an All White jury in the klan Case. Refused to review lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages in behalf of children with birth defects allegedly caused by the anti nausea drug Ben pectin. The court without comment rejected an a peal by More than 800 families who sued Merrell do pharmaceuticals Bende tin s maker. Is honors Oprah Winfrey is Magazine editor Gloria Steinem publication s women of the year. Win left introduces television talk show Frey was cited As showing that women Queen Oprah Winfrey As one of the can climb As High As they want. Detroit voters wonder who will be new mayor Detroit a voters May thin kit s time that Coleman Young stepped Down As mayor but they Are not ready to replace him with Singer Stevie wonder according to a poll published monday. The Detroit free press said its Survey found Young tied with Thomas Barrow his 1985 opponent but holding substantial leads Over seven other potential rivals including wonder who has expressed interest in the Job. Barrow an accountant and the Nephew of boxing great Joe Louis led the successful opposition to Casino gambling in the City an idea Long promoted by the mayor. The free press published the poll into parts beginning sunday when it re ported that Young and Barrow were deadlocked at 42 percent with 16 per cent undecided. The poll of 500 registered voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage Points. Monday s instalment matched Youn against other prominent Detroit figures. He led them All by decisive margins. Wonder who has said he would like Torun for mayor but has not expressed an interest in challenging Young was the Choice of 21 percent to Young s 57 per cent. On sunday both the free press an the Detroit news released surveys Indi file Stevie wonder thinking of running eating that a majority of voters Don think Young 70, should run for re elec Tion this year. Young a Democrat first elected in1973, has not formally announced his candidacy but has told associates he will seek a fifth term As mayor of the nation s sixth largest City both newspapers said. Detroit archdiocese eases plan to close parishes rm7td/"mt / a a i. A Ujj a i _. I. ,. _. Detroit a the archdiocese of Detroit soft ened a proposal to close or merge 48 City parishes but Cardinal Edmund Szoka said More than a Quarter of the City s 112 parishes still would close by june 30. Szoka announced sunday that 30 mostly inner Cit churches would be closed while an additional 25 parishes would be Given a year to prove their viability. I september a task Force had recommended that 43 churches be closed and five others merged into parishes with More members and greater resources. Even with the reduced number of parishes involved there is no precedent in the . Roman Catholic Church for such Large scale closings monsignor John Tracy Ellis a historian at the Catholic University of America in Washington said monday. The situation was entirely different in the past he said. It was a question of How Many new parishes to open not to close. Insofar As i can recall there i nothing like  the Church closings were necessary officials said because of a White exodus from the City that reduced Detroit s Catholic population from 100,000 House holds in 1976 to fewer than 50,000 today. The Church especially the Church in the City of Detroit finds itself in much different circumstances in of in  existed in 69, or 59, or 29, or1909, Szoka said. It cannot act As though nothing has  6 Szoka who had defended the earlier Church closing plan said sunday the 25 churches whose survival is in doubt would be asked to increase membership serv ices and Parish staff. All we Are asking is that they try i mention totem that in no Way is there a Damocles sword hang ing Over their head he said. It is meant rather to Bea stimulus. ,.,the of Nal called for More Blacks to enter religious Hie and said he also intended the closings to help end a Plantation mentality with White Parish leaders run Ning churches attended largely by Blacks. One of the 30 closing churches is expected to be come a Black Catholic historical museum he said