Archdiocese Demands Stronger Anti-Porn Laws and Prosecution

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles is preparing an anti-pornography campaign that will press for passage of stronger anti-obscenity laws and prosecution of producers and distributors, the archdiocesan newspaper, the Tidings, reports.

The plan by the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography also urges Catholics not to support businesses that sell pornography or advertise in pornographic magazines, the newspaper reported.

“Our democracy cannot survive if elected officials don’t enforce the laws that citizens enact through the democratic process,” said Dennis Jarrard, chairman of the commission. “We’ll show Catholic citizens how to gain enforcement of the obscenity laws and how to use their constitutional freedoms to combat the obscenity that’s flooding their communities.”

Makeup of Panel

The 15-member commission includes priests, nuns, lawyers, psychologists and educators among its members.

“We’re under no illusions about how difficult our job is,” Jarrard said. “We’re up against a multibillion-dollar industry.”

Other elements of the plan include using Catholic newspapers, radio, television, parish bulletins and organization newsletters to educate Catholics about obscenity, the Tidings said.

The commission also will urge that information about the effects of pornography be integrated into the curriculum of Catholic high schools and parish religious education programs.

The commission also plans to link up with such national organizations as the National Religious Alliance Against Pornography, Morality in Media, and Citizens for Decency Through Law.

Archbishop’s Views

Last May, Archbishop Roger Mahony said in reading an 800-word statement by the Catholic bishops of California that “we applaud and encourage those legislators and government officials who labor to provide our society with meaningful and enforceable legal protection against the assaults and abuses of the pornographic industry.” Last year Mahony also urged picketing of some convenience stores that sold such magazines as Playboy and Penthouse.