Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop Robert C. Morlino Friday, October 10, 2003 6:00 p.m. -- Meet with and Bless "Pilgrimage of Prayer for Vocations," Inspiring Italy with Father Jim Bartylla, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Saturday, October 11, 2003 8:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Patrick Parish, Hollandale, with the link of Immaculate Conception Parish, Blanchardville, at St. Patrick Parish, Hollandale Sunday, October 12, 2003 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Patrick Parish, Madison 4:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Rite of Acolyte for Candidates to the Diaconate, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Wednesday, October 15, 2003 12:00 p.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, October 16, 2003 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Pastoral Visit to Valley of Our Lady Monastery, Prairie du Sac Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Sunday, October 12, 2003 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Joseph Parish, Markesan, with the link of St. Mary Parish, Kingston, at St. Joseph Parish, Markesan Wednesday, October 15, 2003 12:00 p.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 8:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Bridget Parish, Ridgeway, with the link of Immaculate Conception, Barneveld, at St. Bridget Parish, Ridgeway

Respect life: Uphold the dignity of every human being

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Dear Friends,

"You are not your own. You have been purchased, and at what a price! So glorify God in your body." These words proclaimed by Saint Paul indicate that the entire human person, body and soul, is of unsurpassed dignity before Almighty God because the price of the Blood of Christ shed for us has been paid to purchase that unsurpassed dignity.

"In upholding the dignity of every human being from conception to natural death we show our respect for all human life, and only in a climate of such respect, can hope be warranted in the heart of every human being."

Body shares in dignity of human person

The body shares in the unsurpassed dignity of the human person no less than the soul. The body is destined to be glorified in the Lord's presence in heaven for all eternity no less than the soul. Therefore, the human body can never be seen as a thing to be used for whatever purpose. The human body is never the property of the individual. The human body is the presence of a person to our world, it is sacred, and as long as it is alive, it simply is not a thing. The body of a deceased person is a thing, and a very sacred thing that is reverently laid to rest to await the general resurrection of the body at the end of time.

Our Holy Father has "defined" the body to be a "somatic unity": the working together of the parts of the physical organism for the good of the whole. Please note that this working together of the parts is itself invisible. While the parts are all visible individually and as a whole, the working together of the parts for the good of the whole is not visible. There is a mystery about it, and this mystery characterizes the living body.

The presence of the mystery of life

The presence of the mystery of life in a plant or an animal claims from us humans a certain respect. We are not to abuse plants or animals. They are for our use but always with a proportionate reason for the use to which they are put. The sustenance of our own life is a proportionate reason for the killing of animals for food.

In any event the human body, that is the presence of the human person, has claim to absolute respect, and we seek to focus on nurturing this respect, to invite all sisters and brothers of good will to share this respect for human life and the human body with us during the month of October, which in addition to being the month of the Most Holy Rosary, is also the month which surrounds our Respect Life observance.

All human life is sacred

From conception until natural death all human life is sacred. The destruction of innocent human life is always an abominable crime, particularly so in the case of the most helpless innocent human life, the pre-born. It is a datum of biology that from the moment of conception there is present a unique individual of the human species. That is a datum of biology not of our faith.

No one has the authority to determine that that pre-born unique individual of the human species is less than a person. The pre-born and our beloved seniors are those most at risk in a culture of death. The manufacture of human embryos in order to make use of some of their cells, destroying the human embryo in the process, is certainly an abominable crime against the unsurpassed dignity of every human being, especially from the perspective of our being redeemed by the Blood of Christ.

The use of capital punishment to redress crime when a life sentence without parole is an effective possibility is also an unnecessary resort to death to solve human problems. A culture which becomes comfortable with such destruction of human life will in the end spin into a maelstrom of meaninglessness, and many would claim that we are well on the way.

In upholding the dignity of every human being from conception to natural death we show our respect for all human life, and only in a climate of such respect, can hope be warranted in the heart of every human being. Only in a climate of such respect for the sacredness of human life can it become clear that there is no one for whom Christ did not shed His Precious Blood.

Let us bring that message of human dignity and hope to our culture every day - that is the core of who we are as the Catholic Church.

Thank you very much for reading this and God bless each one of you. Praised be Jesus Christ!