Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 26, 1995                   TAG: 9503290030
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-15   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

COMING OUT WON'T BE GOOD FRIDAY

Walt Disney subsidiary Miramax bowed Friday to the demand of a Roman Catholic group and changed the national release date of ``Priest.''

``Frankly, we were surprised by the vehemence of the reaction to the release date,'' Miramax Films spokesman Mark Gill said. ``But out of respect for these concerns, we will not release the movie nationally on Good Friday.''

The movie opened Friday in New York and Los Angeles, will open in 10 more cities April 7 and in the rest of the nation April 19. The national release had been set for April 14 - Good Friday, the day Christians commemorate the death of Christ.

The movie's characters include an uncaring bishop, a gay priest torn over how to stop a member of the congregation from sexually abusing his daughter and a priest who has a sexual relationship with his housekeeper.

The Catholic League said last week that the movie is offensive enough, and releasing it on Good Friday is more of a insult.

The 200,000-member lay group also warned Disney to dissociate itself from the movie or face a campaign aimed at tarnishing its ``family values'' image.