WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court decisions June 26 striking down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and refusing to rule on the merits of a challenge to California’s Proposition 8 mark a “tragic day for marriage and our nation,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.
Tag: bishops
Bishops release revised end-of-life letter
MADISON — Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops have released the third edition of their pastoral letter on end-of-life health care decision-making and advance care planning, Now and at the Hour of Our Death.
The letter voices the bishops’ concern and compassion for those facing critical health care decisions, and shares a moral and ethical framework for making such decisions.
Popular document
“The conference issued the first edition of this pastoral statement in 2002. That edition and the second one issued in 2006 have proven to be our most frequently requested document,” explained Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) Executive Director John Huebscher.
“In the seven years since the second edition, we have seen even greater interest in the moral questions surrounding death and dying. The bishops are resolved to keep responding to that interest. Reissuing the document is an effective way to do that.”
Bishops oppose rent-to-own changes
MILWAUKEE — At a press conference April 26, Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki expressed his opposition to a provision in the state budget that would exempt rent-to-own (RTO) businesses from key provisions of the Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA).
Speaking at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Archbishop Listecki joined the Chamber’s president and CEO, Maria Monreal-Cameron; Lutheran Bishop Jeff Barrow of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA; Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend), Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee); Bruce Speight, director of the consumer advocacy group WISPERG; and others.
Bishops urge support for choice in education
MADISON — The Roman Catholic bishops of Wisconsin wrote to members of the Wisconsin Legislature, urging them to support Governor Scott Walker’s budget proposal, which would expand parental choice programs in the state and create the Special Needs Scholarship Program.
Noting the Church’s long-standing commitment to quality education, especially for needy or vulnerable children, the bishops explained why educational choice is so vital. “We back this effort out of a conviction that parents, as the primary educators of their children, must have the community’s support in selecting a form of education that best meets their child’s needs — academic, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical.”
Repealing laws you didn’t know existed
G.K. Chesterton once observed that journalism largely consists of saying “Lord Jones is dead” to people who never knew that Lord Jones was alive. Thankfully, this article is not an obituary, but its purpose is to explain that diocesan law has been repealed to readers who likely (and justifiably) never knew that diocesan law existed.
Bishops urge against use of POLST medical forms
The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin recently expressed concern for “Upholding the Dignity of Human Life” in a statement warning against the use of Physician (or Provider) Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
State bishops reiterate opposition to mandate
MADISON — Wisconsin’s bishops reaffirmed their opposition to a federal mandate that all health insurance plans provide coverage at no cost for contraceptive and sterilization services.
Moving on from here: In a renewed kind of politics based on faithful citizenship
Now that the Wisconsin recall election is over, some people are rejoicing and others are disappointed in the outcomes. However, I think almost every citizen in our state is happy to be moving on, away from the incessant political ads, phone calls, and media hype.
Now that the recall is in the history books, the question is: Where do we go from here? I think most Wisconsinites want to live and work together peacefully, yet the climate in our state — and in our nation, for that matter — has been so contentious.
Steps towards healing
Governor Scott Walker took one step by inviting legislators and staff members of both political parties to what was called the “Brat Summit” at the governor’s mansion. The governor himself grilled the brats, and it seemed that those attending enjoyed themselves.
Spending time talking with each other might be a first step in the process of healing in our state. If we listen to what people say, we might start understanding their point of view. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything they say, but we might be able to find some common ground and ways to work together.
From the Threshold of the Apostles
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days” (Galatians 1:18).
In my previous two-part preparatory article, I outlined the historical context and current format and content of the ad limina apostolorum pilgrimage, literally, “to the threshold of the apostles,” by bishops to Rome on a quinquennial basis, i.e., five-year basis.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino and the bishops of Region VII, comprising Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, recently completed their pilgrimage and I’ll offer a brief reflection in thanksgiving as a privileged pilgrim accompanying Bishop Morlino on the ad limina pilgrimage.
I extend my deepest thanks to Bishop Morlino for the opportunity to assist him and accompany him on the ad limina pilgrimage.
Mandate should be seen as attack on religious liberty
To the editor:
At a recent gathering at our parish, I overheard a group of people discussing the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate. The consensus of their conversation could be summed up as follows: “The bishops are getting way too riled up over this issue. It is an election year after all and the president will back down on this.”
As Archbishop Chaput stated, “The current administration prides itself on being measured and deliberate. The current HHS mandate needs to be understood as exactly that.”