ATLANTA--In a letter to pastors and Catholic school principals dated Jan. 29, Archbishop John F. Donoghue has announced that he has rescinded a mandate that the third edition of the Benziger Family Life program be used to teach family life throughout the archdiocese by the fall of 1996.

The archbishop said that he has received "many complaints" about the series and "in fairness the complaints seem to be sufficiently substantial to require re-thinking of the mandate."

Archbishop Donoghue said that he would "leave it, for the present time, to pastors and principals to determine what is best for their communities, with the proviso, however, that children must receive an education in Catholic values pertaining to human sexuality."

The full letter from the archbishop follows:

..."Over the past several months, we have received many complaints about the Benziger Life Series which was mandated for our schools and religious education programs. As an administrator, I generally do not regard such complaints as a basis for rescinding a decision I have made. In this instance, however, in fairness the complaints seem to be sufficiently substantial to require re-thinking of the mandate.

"In general, I do believe the series presents Catholic values in an authentic way. However, I recognize that there is validity to the concerns expressed by some educators and many parents about those parts of the series pertaining to sexuality. It has always been my insistence that parents have the right to direct the education of their children, particularly on such a sensitive matter, and that right must be respected. For that reason, I wanted them informed of their right to withdraw their children from the portions of the program which they felt were objectionable. In the initial phases of implementation of this program, that right has not always been respected adequately and has, in at least a number of instances, required intervention from my office to insure its implementation.

"Respecting the expertise of many educators and the concerns of many parents, I believe we need to re-think the mandating of the Benziger series, and hereby advise you that the earlier mandate is rescinded until further notice.

"Our children need to be taught Catholic values about all aspects of life -- and that is particularly important for those children who, in various educational systems, are exposed to education about sexual matters in an atmosphere which is devoid of a values system. I leave it, for the present time, to pastors and principals to determine what is best for their communities, with the proviso, however, that children must receive an education in Catholic values pertaining to human sexuality."