Bishop's Schedule: Schedule of Bishop Robert C. Morlino Friday, March 12 - Saturday, March 13, 2004 Retreat Master, Men's Lenten Retreat, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, March 14, 2004 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Third Sunday of Lent, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Thursday, March 18, 2004 9:15 a.m. -- Preside at Morning Prayer followed by Guest Presentation, Parish Staff Day, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

Teaching truth:
Mind, intention does not determine reality

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Dear Friends,

It had been my genuine hope to continue on during these days of Lent with a series of spiritual instructions to promote our growth in holiness, yours and mine, during this holy season. Regrettably, the phenomenon of the spread of gay or lesbian marriage requires that I enter into that particular conversation in the name of our Church.

In the first place let me say that there is no one for whom Christ did not die. He laid down his life out of love for us all, very much including all gay and lesbian people, and we must treat them precisely as those for whom Christ laid down His life, respecting their dignity as persons in every way.

An essential element in treating others with respect is telling them the truth with love and inviting them to consider and accept it. Thus let no one interpret my efforts to enter into the present conversation as some kind of gay bashing - rather it is nothing more, nothing less than an exercise of my responsibility to teach the truth of Christ with love in a very important matter indeed. In fact I will probably be addressing this topic for the next several weeks.

"To know something is for the mind-body unity, the person, to enter into a relationship with what is known. But reality outside the person cannot simply be determined by what is in the mind or by what one intends."

Mind does not determine reality

Recently in making a presentation, I asked a young man to sit in his chair and close his eyes, expressing in his mind the desire to be close to Christ. He was an exceptionally fine young man and he did this in an admirable way.

After some moments, he opened his eyes and I asked him whether he had just received Holy Communion. He responded, yes. I then explained to him that to receive Holy Communion meant receiving Christ under the signs of bread and/or wine and usually involved the presence of the priest and the community of the faithful.

Of course he understood this "deep down," but he fell victim, when put on the spot somewhat, to a common mistake made in our culture and in our society, that is, that what is in the mind determines reality.

To receive the sacrament of Holy Communion means far more than sitting with eyes closed thinking about union with Jesus. It is not limited to that kind of a mind trip. In fact it requires a body so that the signs of bread and wine can be physically received. Thinking about closeness to Christ could never be the equivalent of receiving the sacrament of His Body and Blood. The fine young man understood that well, I believe, before the end of our conversation.

Value does not depend on intention

My point is that repeatedly in our culture and in our society we presume that things are in reality as someone thinks they are. For example, there are certain states where if a woman who is pregnant with a child and intends to give birth to that child is murdered, the perpetrator is charged with two counts - killing the mother and killing the baby. At the same time if a mother does not intend to give birth to a baby and chooses rather the alternative of abortion, of course no civil crime is committed at all.

Thus the baby has the value of being a baby if the mother intends it to have that value. And if the mother does not intend the baby to have the value of being a baby, then the baby has no value at all. The value of the baby in short depends on the intention of the mother rather than on anything about the baby itself. The intention in the mind determines the reality.

We are encountering this same phenomenon now with regard to the possibility of gay or lesbian marriage. The fact that someone thinks or believes that this type of union is marriage makes it marriage. The right to marry is seen as including the right to define or redefine marriage. Marriage is whatever someone thinks it is and people have a right to think whatever they think about marriage - again the total domination of what is in the mind over what is in reality.

Reality can be manipulated

This is the main point that I wish to offer in this first reflection. To know something is for the mind-body unity, the person, to enter into a relationship with what is known. But reality outside the person cannot simply be determined by what is in the mind or by what one intends.

Our society attempts to get beyond this only in the practice of polling. One counts what a majority of people think or intend and gratuitously asserts that this then is reality. And we all know that in polling the way in which the question is posed frequently determines the answer. So that in the end reality is determined by those clever enough to pose the questions to those polled in such wise as to generate the desired answer.

Reality and the thoughts of many people can be manipulated by persons with various agendas and frequently with positive intentions. But if reality, especially the value of a human baby, for example, or the reality of marriage as life-long union of male and female open to new life, if realities such as these are subject to the manipulation that comes through polling, etc., then we could find ourselves as a society in very grave trouble indeed.

Taking baby out of marriage equation

In closing let me point out, again without judging anyone's intentions, that it was the contraceptive mentality that brought forth the idea of marriage and family without children. Taking the baby out of the marriage and family equation was furthered by the cultural trend that we have come to call pro-choice.

Gay or lesbian marriages can never be naturally fruitful in terms of children and so are a third step in the removal of the baby, the dimension of openness to life, from marriage and the family. Once the baby was taken out of the equation, the train really left the station, it would seem.

In observing a connection among contraception, abortion, and gay marriage, I in no way am asserting that all are equally sinful. During this time when God's plan for marriage and the family is under genuinely strong attack, let us pray for our country and our culture that we will not find ourselves further adrift and not anchored to those foundations of society which alone can generate a true common good.

Thank you for reading this and God bless each one of you.