Mahony and School Clinics

Since when is family life and the well-being of our teen-agers a purely secular matter? Whether the editorial board of The Times agrees or disagrees with the position of Archbishop Mahony, it is an unwarranted assault upon the right of free speech to accuse the archbishop of intrusion when he is speaking not only as a religious leader of one-fourth of the children who attend public school but also as a leading citizen of Los Angeles.

There is no dimension of the human condition without a moral component. The archbishop not only has a constitutional right but also a religious duty to speak out strongly for what he and the Catholic Church perceive to be moral and right in the education of our youth.

STEPHEN E. BLAIRE

Los Angeles

Father Blaire is moderator of the curia/chancellor of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.