When Jesus, as quoted in Matthew's Gospel, said, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's,'' he was stressing the need to separate the civil and religious realms - a message that has resounded across the centuries, and that churches and political leaders often have been tempted to ignore. The Mormon Church and Mitt Romney should make sure that the church stays out of his nascent presidential campaign.

The Globe reported last week that a top church official held a meeting with Romney's son at church headquarters in Salt Lake City to discuss a fundraising initiative among Mormons. This would involve alumni of the business school at Brigham Young University, a church affiliate.

The First Amendment, with its injunction that Congress shall make no law restricting religion, carries an implied corollary that churches should not meddle in politics. In response to the Globe story, the Mormon Church affirmed its neutrality in the presidential race last week and instructed two business school deans to stop sending e-mails on Romney's behalf.

The church also ought to make sure that all its leaders, including Jeffrey R. Holland, who organized the meeting, stop helping the campaign. As one of the 12 Apostles, advisers to church president Gordon B. Hinckley, Holland's involve- ment is tantamount to a Mormon endorsement of the candidacy.

Romney defended his campaign, saying: "Clearly I'm going to raise money from people I know, and that includes BYU alums, people of my church, people of other churches.'' His lack of concern about the issue raises doubts about his ability to keep church and state separate should he move to the White House.

The United States has experienced an upsurge of religious influence in politics, but official involvement of churches is still limited by the need to maintain nonprofit status under the tax code. America has maintained civil comity by making sure that no sect uses the power of government for its own ends.

Romney wants to become the first Mormon president. In 1960, John F. Kennedy, in a similar position as a Catholic, faced concerns about his ability to be free of church influence. "I believe in an America . . . where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope, the National Council of Churches, or any other ecclesiastical source,'' he said at the time.

Non-Catholics were unduly fearful that the worldly Kennedy would take orders from the Vatican. But Romney appears all too willing to entangle religion and politics. Voters who practice a different faith, or none at all, deserve assurances that he can separate the demands of public life from the urgings of Salt Lake City.