Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Thursday, April 29, 2004 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Madison Diocesan Association of the National Catholic Society of Foresters, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, University of Notre Dame Alumni Club Night, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Friday, April 30, 2004 12:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, St. Raphael Cathedral, followed by the praying of the rosary Saturday, May 1, 2004 5:15 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Peter Parish, Madison Sunday, May 2, 2004 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Mass of Thanksgiving with New Catholics, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison 12:00 p.m. -- Participate in International Rosary March, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison 6:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Paul University Catholic Center, Madison Tuesday, May 4, 2004 7:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Maria Goretti Parish, Madison Wednesday, May 5, 2004 7:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Patrick Parish, Cottage Grove Thursday, May 6, 2004 7:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Cecilia Parish, Wisconsin Dells Bishop William H. Bullock, Bishop Emeritus Saturday, May 1, 2004 11:00 a.m. -- Concelebrate at Liturgy of 50th Anniversary of Ordination of Most Reverend Roger L. Kaffer, St. Raymond Cathedral, Joliet, Illinois Bishop George O. Wirz, Bishop Emeritus Saturday, May 1, 2004 7:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Mary Parish, Pine Bluff Sunday, May 2, 2004 1:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, Ss. Anthony and Philip Parish, Highland Wednesday, May 5, 2004 7:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Bernard Parish, Madison

Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino Between Easter and Labor Day, Bishop Morlino's column will continue on an other than weekly basis. Next week the bishop will address the new Vatican document, Redemptionis Sacramentum (The Sacrament of Redemption).

Red Mass: Citizenship in God's state takes priority, says bishop

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- Bishop Robert C. Morlino presided at the first Red Mass held in the Diocese of Madison on April 22 at St. Raphael Cathedral.

The tradition of the Red Mass dates from the 13th Century in England. At the Mass prayers are offered to bless those in the legal profession and judicial office.

About 120 lawyers, judges, and elected officials attended the Mass at the cathedral. Msgr. Paul J. Swain, vicar general and rector of the cathedral, concelebrated. He himself is an attorney.

Sacred trust

In his homily, Bishop Morlino said that the law is very important. "The law is where most Americans get their sense of what's true and false, right and wrong."

He told the Catholic lawyers, judges, and legislators, "You hold a very sacred trust."

"Sometimes a lot of negativity is directed towards you. With what's been happening recently, I feel close to you," noted the bishop.

In his homily he discussed three points: who we are as witnesses; Catholic Church teaching on the relationship between church and state; and the role of conscience.

Witnessing

The bishop pointed out that the readings during the Easter season keep repeating the theme of being witnesses of Christ's Resurrection. The reading today says "it's better to obey God than the human way."

Bishop Morlino said, "When we're baptized, we're made citizens of heaven. Sometimes that takes precedence over this world.

"We have to make choices. When we follow our baptismal citizenship rather than our worldly citizenship, indeed we are witnessing to the Resurrection."

Church and state

One way to witness, the bishop said, is "by praying and thinking about the relationship between church and state as the Catholic Church says it is and then proclaiming it.

"The truth operates by its own gentle power," he said. "We don't forcefeed the truth."

He noted that the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Liberty - affirmed by the pope as the highest level of teaching - declares that the "state is obliged to ensure favorable conditions for the fostering of religious life."

The state is not to show favor to one particular denomination, sect, or church. "But it certainly says the teaching of the Catholic Church does not say the wall of separation of church and state is impenetrable," emphasized Bishop Morlino. "It says the state should generally favor religion."

Yet, in the United States, said the bishop, "we seem to be drifting in quite a different direction."

Role of conscience

The same Vatican II document also emphasizes that "the faithful, like other people, have the civil right of living their life as conscience directs."

Bishop Morlino admitted that there are "God's rules and state's rules" under civil law. "But there's only one conscience" for baptized persons. "There is no second conscience."

As a baptized believer, he said, "I have to say, 'Better to obey God than follow human ways. My first citizenship is in God's kingdom, not in the civil state.'

"If the church and state come in conflict, the citizenship in God's state takes priority," the bishop underlined. "We have to pray so we can proclaim it."

Bishop Morlino said, "People sometimes say when we seek to live out the teaching of the church as our conscience demands, we are trying to force our ideology on others. My convictions in faith are called an ideology. That hurts me so much, because there's a judgment of the heart there."

He said he does not try to have his ideology win out. "Absolutely not. We're trying to save souls. That's my motive. For someone to reduce my living out my faith to an ideological battle takes the guts out of our faith and reduces it to a kind of rough and tumble politics.

"To talk about your faith and mine as though it were an ideology is the consummate dirty trick," said the bishop. "Conscience has to do with salvation, being a citizen of God's kingdom. It's better to obey God than to follow human ways."

Prayerful conversation

The bishop said he hoped this Mass and the reception following are the "beginning of a prayerful conversation about these and other matters of church and state.

"We've got a lot of witnessing to do. I hope we can do it together with gentleness and love so the truth with love will win out as it always does."