Stray from the morally higher responsibility (3)
I believe the answer is:
err
'stray' is the definition.
('err' can be a synonym of 'stray')
'from the morally higher responsibility' is the wordplay.
'from' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'ERR' is hidden in the letters of 'morally higher responsibility'.
(Other definitions for err that I've seen before include "Go astray" , "'to... is human,to forgive divine'" , "Be inaccurate" , "Be incorrect" , "Drop a clanger" .)