Rev. Msgr. James […]
Category: Bishop
Adjusting to the empty chair
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Dear Friends,
Last Thursday morning, as I was leaving Rome to return to Madison, Pope Benedict was still the Bishop of Rome and the Pope of the Universal Church; by the time I arrived in the United States in midafternoon, the Chair of Peter was empty.
Bishop’s statement on Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation
As news reports have indicated, Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will resign at the end of February. Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, has offered the following statement in regards to this development:
With the rest of you, I woke this morning to learn of the shocking, but not altogether surprising, news that our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, is resigning his service as the successor of St. Peter, Bishop of Rome. His announcement brings me sadness personally, as he is a hero to me and a great shepherd for the Church. I first met the Holy Father as Cardinal Ratzinger in 1983.
How we respond to shock and scandal
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| 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,
In the Gospel readings of this past Sunday we encountered a moment of tremendous shock and even of scandal. So often when we hear the word “scandal” in the Church these days, our minds are drawn immediately to the horrific travesties carried out by some who had promised to serve the Church but instead abused some of the most innocent of their flock.
Following God’s plan for family
This week we mark 40 years since the Supreme Court of our nation made abortion legal. Since that time, over 55,000,000 children have been destroyed by means of surgical abortion (that we know of).
Decree of Abrogation
Whereas the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, exists on earth as a visible society, which must be well and lawfully ordered in order to manifest the Lord’s presence to the world effectively; and …
Appointments (January 5, 2013)
Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following appointments made by Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison:
What happened in Connecticut
Dear Friends,
It seems like forever ago that I saw the movie, The Exorcist (and it was forever ago in the sense that it was in the ’70’s) but there was one scene and one line that stuck with me. It was not any of the overblown portrayals of the Devil’s presence, though they did go overboard in that movie in certain instances, and attributed to the Devil certain things that the Devil could not do, just to make it more sensational.
Diocese comments on misleading Wisconsin State Journal article
“Morlino Cracks Down on Two Nuns” is a misleading headline to an article appearing in the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper of Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The headline provocatively attempts to sensationalize the ordinary operations of the Catholic Church. The real issue is about the permissibility of members of Wisdom’s Well to speak at parishes, not about religious sisters. Contrary to the impression of the article’s headline, the prohibited group at this specific time is Wisdom’s Well, which includes not only religious sisters, but also others, and the “group” not being corrected at this time is religious sisters in general in the Diocese of Madison, including the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. The Diocese of Madison is aware of and grateful for the charitable work of many religious sisters over the years.
The article also fails to address sufficiently the risk that materials and methods of the members of Wisdom’s Well may appear to promote opinions that are contrary to the Church faith. The Diocese of Madison pursued this matter with utmost confidentiality to protect the reputations of all parties. The specific limitation of this issue to members of Wisdom’s Well and the confidential documents sent to the priests were also communicated personally, confidentially, and directly by me to the Prioress of the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation at the time of the confidential communication to the priests in the Diocese of Madison.