Admonition to Officeholders

We want to commend The Times’ editorial “Zeal and Politics” (June 6) for its response to Archbishop Roger M. Mahony’s recent declaration that all Catholic officeholders in government “have a positive moral obligation” to work for the repeal of laws permitting abortion.”

The Catholic Church has every right to express itself on public issues, including abortion. As does every citizen, religious group, and voluntary association, it has the right to urge a change in the constitutional law of abortion, and to call for a re-examination of those public policies which allow reproductive choice. In a democracy necessarily committed to freedom of expression, no other rule is conceivable. But Archbishop Mahony’s recent statement that government officials who are Catholics “have a positive moral obligation” to work for the repeal of laws permitting abortion stands on a different footing.

The Archbishop has a legal right to say what he did. In a pluralistic society, however, calls for public officials to act as believers are improper. Public officials owe all citizens--and not just those who share their religious views--a duty to exercise their own best judgment, even though colored by religious beliefs--not blind obedience to ecclesiastical authority, whether it be a bishop, a pastor or a rabbi.

If the Catholic Church, or any church, can persuade a public official, of whatever religious persuasion, that its position on abortion is more consistent with the vision of a just society, that official is free to act on that view to the extent the law allows. What no church or synagogue should do is demand that its adherents holding public office respond in lock step to its religious teachings.

Twice in this century, Catholics running for the presidency have faced strong opposition from bigots who argues that no Catholic could be trusted with public office because they would inevitably take orders from the Vatican. Once that opposition defeated an able Catholic candidate, Al Smith; the other time, the candidate, John F. Kennedy, overcame that opposition by stating that, in his capacity as a public official, he was not subject to the authority of any church official. Notwithstanding the sympathy one must feel for those confronted with a clash between their most deeply held beliefs and their duty to the public to exercise their independent judgment, the balance must be struck in favor of the public interest.

DOUGLAS E. MIRELL

Vice President

American Jewish Congress

Los Angeles