Year: 2016

On
Veronica Arntz

Divorce, remarriage, and Communion

Veronica Arntz

Part three of a four-part series

Having established a clear understanding of the Church’s teaching on marriage and family, let us now turn to the situation of the divorced and remarried.

St. John Paul II recognized the difficult situations that arise from divorce: “Loneliness and other difficulties are often the lot of separated spouses, especially when they are innocent parties” (Familiaris Consortio, 83).

Divorced and remarried

Yet, both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 29) affirm that those who have been divorced and remarried without receiving a declaration of nullity cannot receive Communion.

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On
Dick Jones, For the Catholic Herald

Madison Area Food Pantry marks 17th season

First in a series on the Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens.

MADISON — Every Saturday during the growing season, they would meet on the Capital Square in downtown Madison before 12 noon, farmers’ market gleaners seeking fresh produce the vendors didn’t sell: some fruit but mostly vegetables for food pantries serving the poor.

First in a series on the Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens.

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On
Jeff Davis and Greg Wagner

Consider party platforms when voting

Jeff Davis and Greg Wagner

As Catholic voters, what are we to do when neither presidential candidate seems to share our beliefs and values? Some may opt to sit out this election and not vote, others may vote for a third party candidate, and others may write in a candidate.

We feel there is a better option, and that is to look at the party platforms. The party platforms between the Republicans and the Democrats represent two diametrically opposed world views.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Diocese encourages collection for hurricane relief

MADISON — The Diocese of Madison has encouraged parishes, at the discretion of the pastor, to take up a special collection beginning the weekend of October 29 for the relief of Hurricane Matthew victims in the United States and Caribbean countries, especially in Haiti.

“There is no requirement from the Diocese of Madison that a parish perform a special collection for Hurricane Matthew victims, although it is generally encouraged, per the discretion of the pastor, as a Corporal Work of Mercy during the Jubilee Year of Mercy,” said Vicar General Msgr. James Bartylla.

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Let’s promote eschatological awareness

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

The word “eschatology” points to the last things — death, judgment, heaven, and hell. In a certain sense, it’s the most important part of our faith.

Why did God make us? God made us to know, love, and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next! And of course, what is seen in this world passes away, but what is unseen in the next world is eternal. And what is eternal obviously takes priority over what is temporal, what is time-bound.

Most important part of our faith

So the eschatological dimension of our faith is most important, and yet most Catholics don’t consider it very often. Recent surveys reveal that most Catholics are unsure as to whether there is life after death. Many Catholics think that it’s all over with our bodily death here.

That’s terribly sad, and troubling, and it’s partly why I’ve been focusing on eschatology of late. Lacking a proper understanding of eschatology skews our entire perspective on life and reality.

One tendency for those who lack a proper perspective vis-à-vis eschatology is to be completely wrapped up in improving things in this world, without reference to the things of eternity. Of course we want to improve things in this world and, in fact, we need to work hard to improve them — that’s part and parcel of knowing, loving, and serving God in this world.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Students in Monona collect art supplies for flood affected schools

MONONA — The third and fourth graders at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) School in Monona started the year with a service project to help people affected by the flood in Louisiana.

Sr. Sue Keim, second grade teacher at IHM, has a sister, Judy, and nieces and nephews who live in one of the hardest hit areas of Louisiana.

Judy is a member of Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Denham Springs, La., which sustained considerable damage in the floods

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

We can’t be neutral on assisted suicide

Pope Francis has said that compassion means “suffer with.” It is a challenge to suffer with a beloved family member or friend who is dying.

The dying process has been called a “sacred time — a final season to seek closure in this life and prepare for the next in the hope of sharing in Christ’s Resurrection,” says a passage from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Respect Life Program publication on “Caring for Loved Ones at Life’s End.”

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On
Michelle Nilsson, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis

Answering the call to the New Evangelization

ralph poyo
Deacon Ralph Poyo

MADISON — Beginning on November 1, the Diocese of Madison will be a hosting Deacon Ralph Poyo of New Evangelization Ministries for several events at local parishes.

Deacon Poyo will be inspiring and guiding us in our own journey of conversion but also helping us to assist others to encounter Jesus and our Catholic faith with new ardor, new methods and expression.

Our history of evangelization
and the New Evangelization

It may be unclear whether we as Catholics truly understand the meaning of the term evangelization. But it is certain that we all agree that the earliest followers of Christ were called to go out to spread the Good News of Jesus. That was in fact the first call to evangelize the world. Jesus taught his followers to be evangelizers.

But we do not live in biblical times and our recent Holy Fathers have recognized a need to reteach and engage the world with a re-proposing of the Gospel Message.

Shortly after Vatican II, Blessed Paul VI promulgated a post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation entitled, Evangelization in the Modern World. This document gave the Church the foundation and principles of evangelization that informs our current understanding.

St. John Paul II continued this work and coined the phrase “The New Evangelization.” He began to define what that phrase means and a vision for this New Evangelization.

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