4B
Friday. September 23. 1994
NATION/WORLD
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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Pope cancels U.S. journey
VATICAN CITY — Health problems have finally slowed down history's most traveled pope.
The Associated Press
Pope John Paul II called off his trip to the United States yesterday, capping months of upbeat official reports amid rumors that the Pontiff was ailing.
The Vatican said the 74-year-old pope needs more time to recover from hip-replacement surgery following a fall in his bathroom April 29. The pope was due to leave Oct. 20 for a visit to the United Nations in New York; Yonkers, N.Y.; Newark, N.J.; and Baltimore.
"It's a question of mobility, not health," Navarro said, adding that the pope's scheduled trip to Asia in January was still on.
Vatican representative Joaquin Navarro said the pope had not fully recovered from the fall and needs further physical therapy.
The Vatican repeatedly has said the pope's health is good, expressing dismay over alarms in the media that he suffered from Parkinson's disease or other serious illnesses.
John Paul was an extremely vig
orous 58 when elected the first Polish pope in 1978 by Roman Catholic cardinals. He was wounded in an assassination attempt on May 13, 1981, but eight months later was traveling the world again.
But even the rescheduled was little consolation for many of John Paul's American followers. The Pope had planned to bring his cruisade against abortion and euthanasia to the United Nations during his U.S. trip.
In recent years, his medical problems have increased. Doctors removed what they said was a benign intestinal tumor two years ago. He also broke his shoulder in a fall last Nov. 11.
"I don't mean to sound selfish, but that's next year. If you're looking for some peace in your turbulent world right now, that's another year you'll have to wait for that blessing," said Geri LaGrua, 41, from New York City.
Describing the pope as disappointed, Navarro said John Paul intends to make the trip to the United States in November 1995 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
Canceled visit disappoints Catholics
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — For Pope John Paul II, the cancelation of his U.S. visit this fall means a lost opportunity to bring his crusade against abortion and euthanasia to the United Nations.
For Roman Catholic churches in the Northeast, it means tens of thousands of parishioners will have to wait another year to see the head of their faith.
Six-year-old Kristina Scarlotta of New York City cried when she heard the news.
"My daughter was getting ready for school and saw it first and started to cry, and I sat there and cried with her," said her mother, Theresa, choking back tears again."1
At St. Hedwig Catholic Church, a Polish-American parish in Trenton, N.J., 200 congregation members had tried for 55 tickets to a papal Mass. The lucky ticketholders had planned to attend in Polish dress.
"I was so sorry that he didn't come," said the Rev. Henry F. Schabowski. "It was a combination of things. First, it's that the pope is the pope, and second for us, as Polish Americans, it was a very special occasion because he's a Polish guy."
Simpson had knife training
LOS ANGELES — A tape of a TV movie for which O.J. Simpson was trained to kill with a knife was seized from his mansion along with a note from his ex-wife telling him never to speak to her again, a detective testified yesterday.
The Associated Press
Detective David Martin said even though the items weren't specified in a search warrant, he took them from Simpson's house because he believed they might link Simpson to the June 12 stabbing deaths of his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman.
With Simpson's trial scheduled to get under way Monday, his lawyers are challenging the June 28 search as too broad and want the evidence thrown out.
Police also spotted a picture of Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson in happier days. It had been turned face down under his bed.
Detective Otis Marlow saw of Simpson's mansion. "To see a picture of Mrs. Simpson on the ground, face down, was unusual."
"It's immaculate inside there."
"I was aware Mr. Simpson was involved in that series as a Navy SEAL." Martin said. He also noted that in the film Simpson would have worn a cap similar to one found at the scene of the slayings.
Martin said the video of "Frogmen," a movie about a Navy commander who turns to private security work, was seized because police had received tips that it might contain clues to the case.
"We were aware in his preparation for that series he had received some instruction in the use of a knife as a killing instrument," said Martin, adding he believed the video would show Simpson wielding a knife.
Although the warrant sought only a stiletto knife, its packaging and any dark clothing with bloodstains, off-
cers said they felt justified in seizing anything that might point to motive or serve as evidence.
Superior Court Judge Lance Ito has said that if the warrant were used as "a subterfuge for a general search," all evidence seized could be thrown out.
Simpson occasionally grinned and raised his eyebrows during the testimony from detectives. Later, he appeared to be staring at the ceiling.
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The trial begins Monday with jury selection.
The court session began yesterday with it lashing out at the media for, he said, inaccurately reporting DNA test results.
"I'm so saturated by the irresponsibility of the media that I'm beyond being outraged. I'm almost numb to it at this point," It said. "It's outrageous. It's irresponsible."
House evaluates access law
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In May 1993, Congress made it a crime to intimidate, injure or obstruct anyone trying to go in or out of an abortion clinic. But since then, a doctor and his escort have been murdered, and clinics continue to be attacked and blockaded.
A House panel questioned Justice Department officials and those working in abortion clinics yesterday about whether the new Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is being effectively enforced.
"The Justice Department has got to do better," he said.
What they heard prompted Rep. Charles Schumer, D.N.Y., an author of the law and chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee, to chide officials.
volunteer escort, James Barrett, in July outside a Pensacola, Fla., clinic, said Deval Patrick, assistant attorney general for civil rights.
Since the law went into effect, the Justice Department has filed criminal charges based on its provisions in two cases: a blockade of a Milwaukee clinic and the murders of John Britton, an abortion doctor, and his
But there are many other cases, such as the firebombing in July of a Falls Church, Va., clinic and a Planned Parenthood facility in August in Brainerd, Minn., which was destroyed by arson. Schumer said.
In August, at least nine clinic doctors received death threats, Schumer said, including Joseph Booker, a doctor at the only clinic in Mississippi. He is now under 24-hour protection by U.S. marshals.
Patrick and Jo Ann Harris, assistant attorney general who heads the Justice Department's criminal division, testified that the government had set up a special task force to handle clinic violence and was vigorously pursuing violations of the law.
While abortion clinic staff members contended that the law was ineffective, the panel also heard from several anti-abortion protesters who claimed just the opposite.
Congress bars condom funds
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators agreed yesterday to bar the use of federal education money for programs that directly promote sexual activity or for condoms for distribution in the nation's schools.
The compromise agreement came as the Senate and House conferees sought to resolve differences on the reauthorization of the nearly $13 billion Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which expires Sept. 30.
If Congress fails to act by the deadline, funding would cease for programs created by the act. Among them is the $6.4 billion program aiding educationally disadvantaged children.
Press secretary may be replaced
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In a long-anticipated White House shake-up, press secretary Dee Dee Myers is expected to be replaced by State Department representative Michael McCurry, officials said yesterday.
Anxious to improve his imagemaking shop, Clinton also plans to give Communications Director Mark Gearan a new job overseeing planning, strategy, communications and honing of the president's message.
The moves, engineered by Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, would change the public face of the White House. Myers, 33, has been Clinton's press secretary since early in the administration and played a similar role in his campaign.
Panetta wants McCurry to regularly brief reporters, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. McCurry, a former communications director for the Democratic National Committee, has a reputation as a reliable, knowledgeable representative and — unlike Myers — is included in Clinton's inner circle.
Aides cautioned that Clinton had not taken final action on Panetta's recommendations. The announcement could come as early as today.
Complicating matters has been Myers' insistence that she remain in her current job, saying privately that she would resign rather than take a lesser job. At one point, a senior aide said, Panetta planned to offer her more responsibility, but it was unclear whether Myers would accept any change.
Asked if Myers was upset by the move, a friend of Myers in the White House said, "She's all right. She's a strong person." Yet, the same person said that Myers probably would resign.
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