Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Friday, March 24, 2006 7:30 p.m. -- Retreat Master, Diocese of Madison Men's Retreat, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Saturday, March 25, 2006 8:00 a.m. -- Retreat Master, Diocese of Madison Men's Retreat, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, March 26, 2006 12:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Celebration of the Eucharist, Rose Mass, Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, MI Wednesday, March 29, 2006 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Paul's Community & Korean Catholic Community, St. Paul's University Catholic Center, Madison Thursday, March 30, 2006 7:00 p.m. -- Attend St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Bishop William H. Bullock Saturday, March 25, 2006 5:30 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. John the Baptist Parish, Jefferson Sunday, March 26, 2006 12:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Dennis Parish, Madison Monday, March 27, 2006 12:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Tuesday, March 28, 2006 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Celebration of the Eucharist, Meriter Care Center, Madison Bishop George O. Wirz Thursday, March 30, 2006 7:00 p.m. -- Attend St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

Fighting a battle: To protect marriage, family life

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Following is the remaining part of Bishop Morlino's homily at the Rite of Election at St. Albert the Great Parish, Sun Prairie, on March 5, 2006. The first part was published in the March 16 issue of the Catholic Herald:

Plans to destroy family life, country

Satan has a plan to destroy family life. All the problems of communication within the family that lead down the road to divorce, the tragedy of divorce, which takes so many victims, when that well of forgiveness runs dry, Satan loves to destroy marriages just as he loves to destroy people.

Lastly, Satan is trying to destroy our country from within. There are three basic truths of reason. The first one is: God exists. Human reason alone can know that God exists. You don't have to be a follower of Christ, you don't have to be a Catholic, you don't have to have any religious bent at all; human reason teaches that God exists.

And what is Satan doing in our country? Trying to erase God from public life. Of course we should say "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance whether we're Christian or not, whether we're Catholic or not, whether we're religious or not, because the existence of God is a truth of human reason and every nation is a nation under God!

Another great truth of human reason is that every human person has an unsurpassed dignity. Every human being is sacred from conception to death. Otherwise nothing else we do to care for other human beings makes any sense. That's a truth of reason, that's not Catholic teaching, that's not Christian conviction; it's true for every human being.

And the third truth of reason is that marriage means "one husband - one wife - one lifetime - with openness to children." That's a truth of reason. I'm going to talk about that because this is the year when we fight for that truth. We've got to fight for it at the federal level in June, and we have to fight for it at the state level in November.

I believe that our mission to purify the culture in the United States is down the tubes if we cannot protect marriage. I think for our country, that's the end of it, in terms of having a Godly, decent culture. History may prove me wrong in this, but it is my strong personal conviction and that of many other clergy. So, we've got to pull out all the stops, you and I together. There's a problem with this. I know that some of the people who want to pull out all the stops to protect authentic marriage are gay-bashers. I wish that they weren't on my side. I don't want to bash anybody. Every human being is one for whom Jesus Christ shed His blood and we should treat every human being that way. Period. Those who want to defend marriage out of anti-gay sentiments have their own sins to worry about and I don't want to be in their number when the sinners come marching in, if I can help it. So, if we protect marriage, there are going to be some people on our side that we wish weren't on our side. I can't help it, but we've still got to protect marriage.

There are also some who are going to be on our side in protecting marriage, some politicians, saying, "Geez, all of George Bush's friends are turning against him. George Will is turning against him. Bill Buckley is turning against him. He's got big troubles. How are we going to win in November? We've got to get the vote out. Let's put a Protect Marriage Amendment on the ballot so we can get the conservatives out and then maybe we can protect conservative interests." I know that when we go to protect marriage, some of those people are on my side; they may even want to make it look like I'm on their side. I'm not interested in politics as usual and I'm completely against gay bashing. I can't help who appears to be on our side in this battle, but marriage has to be protected, it's a truth of natural reason, it has nothing to do with gay-bashing and it should have nothing to do with politics as usual.

Longing for human intimacy

Every human being has a longing for human intimacy. It's not that Christians want intimacy in some special way. It's not that Catholics want intimacy in some special way. Every human being just because he or she is human, wants intimacy. Now, look at couples, there might be some here today, couples married 60 years, who could tell you and me, and they would, even after 60 years I don't know that other person completely. I have not given myself to that other person completely. And I have not received the gift of that other person completely, even after 60 years. The human being wants total intimacy. Even after 60 years of marriage, there is not complete knowledge of the other; there is not complete gift of self to the other; there is not complete reception of the gift of the other, even after 60 years.

So, the drive for human intimacy itself says, one other person, because we can't even get to know completely even one other in a lifetime. We can't even give ourselves completely to one in a lifetime. We can't even receive the gift of another one in a lifetime. So the drive for intimacy is intimacy with one, not with many. That's one piece of it.

And then the other piece of it is, human reason teaches us that God the Creator exists, God the Creator created the human body with the human anatomy. Go back to the sex education that I got in the ninth grade, now it's probably in the first grade. We can see from human anatomy that the intimacy, that total intimacy to which we're called, can be symbolized and celebrated in the body, that's why we say the two become one flesh. And one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to look at human anatomy and see how the equipment works. And when the drive for human intimacy between husband and wife is symbolized and celebrated, sometimes children happen according to God's will.

We have to fight a battle

What I've said in the last few minutes is not in the first place Christian teaching, it's not in the first place Catholic teaching, it stands to reason. When we look at the drive of every human person for total intimacy and we look at the anatomy of the human body the conclusion is: one husband - one wife - one lifetime - with openness to children. There is no other conclusion. The big lie of Satan is that when we defend marriage, when we defend the existence of God, when we defend the dignity of the human person, the big lie of Satan is, "You're forcing religion down our throat!" The truth of God's existence, the truth of the dignity of the human person, the truth about marriage and its definition, is a matter of human reason and the government has an obligation to help us live according to reason. And when the government helps us to live according to reason, the government is not forcing anyone's religion down anyone's throat. That is the satanic lie.

I'm spending time on this today because we've got a battle. We've got a battle at the federal level in June and we've got a battle at the state level in November. And I'm serious about it, I can't imagine what happens if marriage goes down the tubes. If marriage goes down the tubes, life will become one big custody suit. And who will decide who raises children and how they get raised? The State, more and more and more. Marriage goes down the tubes, the State will be deciding who gets custody and how the kids get taught. And when the State does that, rather than the natural parents, that's the end of democracy.

So, we've got a spiritual battle to fight. As we fight the battle, we've got to love one another. God is Love. But we don't love Satan; it's not possible for us to love evil. We're on a mission with Jesus Christ as His body so that every last force of evil will be destroyed. I just thought that I'd bring you Catechumens and Candidates who are coming in up to speed about what is going on in our Church. I'm not welcoming you today to a cruise ship. Our ship, the Bark of Peter, is in spiritual combat. This is a battle against the powers and the principalities that would destroy everything that is truly human, and this is a moment when we can make a difference in that battle for Jesus Christ.

When you receive your Baptism, and your Confirmation, and your Eucharist, you're not being strengthened by the Holy Spirit for nothing, you're not being strengthened by the Holy Spirit for a cruise, as nice as that is. You're being strengthened by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the truth with love, the truth about God, the truth about the dignity of the human person, and in a very concrete way in our country and in our state in the coming months, the truth about marriage. Dear Lord, please give every one of us the grace to take up our mission, and if we get a bloody nose along the way, give us the grace to take it and keep smiling. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Bishop's Letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters, All in the Lord,

The forces of nature continue to exact an extreme toll, continuing with tornadoes across the Midwest. Tragedies of such proportions as the Tsunami and the Gulf State hurricanes have shocked us all to an awareness of our fragility.

	Related articles in this week's edition: • Editorial --     Jesus in disguise: Find him by helping the poor • Notes from The Gambia by Tom Brodd --     Catholic Relief Services: A little of what we do

Although fragile as individuals, we remain strong in our common humanity. After each brutal onslaught, hope springs up with renewed efforts to help our brothers, wherever they are. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is one of the first to respond in emergencies. With vast experience in 98 countries, CRS is a trusted partner when disaster strikes. That trust was earned through years and years of being with communities in need.

One member of our Diocese, Tom Brodd, is currently serving in The Gambia and has been sending monthly reports printed in the Catholic Herald. In Ghana, where our sister diocese is located, CRS helped create the only farmer-owned fair trade chocolate cooperative in the world. In Nicaragua, CRS is helping coffee farmers obtain better prices. In Afghanistan, water projects are being funded. In Indonesia, CRS helps people build new homes to replace those swept away by the tsunami.

Catholic Relief Services is helping people help themselves. Schools, wells, improved farming techniques, micro-lending, all work to make people self-sufficient.

CRS builds new hope as communities are re-built.

This Sunday, I ask you to bring hope to others. The collection for Catholic Relief Services will prepare us to respond to the next emergency situation, to provide basic food, water and shelter. But more than that, this collection is our way of showing the face of our God to the world through our care and compassion for those in need. Join with me to support Catholic Relief Services.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison