A spokeswoman for the Romney campaign, Gail Gitcho, said Wednesday that "Gov. Romney has previously indicated that he was considering a speech dealing with faith and values. No decision has been made, and it remains under consideration by the governor."

Romney can get past the questions about Mormonism, said both the Rev. Gaddy and another participant in the teleconference, Harvard University comparative religion and Indian studies professor Diana Eck.

"I think the person in the driver's seat there is the candidate," Eck said, calling on candidates to be clear about speaking as a member of a particular faith and as a potential public office holder. "Those two voices are different voices."

The Rev. Gaddy said Romney needs to make clear, as Kennedy did in his speech, that he understands "the demands of the Constitution" that the institutions of church and state are kept separate.

"The pressing need is not for a comprehensive understanding of the Mormon faith," the Rev. Gaddy said. "The pressing need is for the candidate to say, 'I am going to function as the president of the United States and not as a Mormon when I'm in the White House."'

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