Bishop's Schedule: Bishop George O. Wirz Tuesday, January 16, 2007 12:00 noon -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

In 2007:
Proclaim the truth with love

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

(en Español)

Dear Friends,

We began the New Year as always celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. How fitting it always is to entrust ourselves to her motherly care and love at the beginning of each New Year.

The beautiful words spoken by Mary in Scripture, "He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly," have struck home for me uniquely as the year 2006 came to an end.

Saddam Hussein's death

The unquestionably brutal dictator Saddam Hussein was cast down from his throne and executed. Let me be clear that that observation constitutes no affirmation whatever on my part of capital punishment, which as the Vatican press secretary said, always contributes to a climate of violence and revenge. Saddam's body was delivered to his hometown and family after the gallows' event on a pickup truck. It surely was not the kind of end and funeral that Saddam would have wanted.

It is necessary for us as followers of Jesus Christ to pray for the Lord's mercy upon Saddam Hussein - it would be quite sinful if we ever hoped that anyone was outside the scope of the mercy of Jesus Christ, and it is urgent for us that we implore the Father's mercy for him.

Honoring President Gerald Ford

At the same time the Lord called home President Gerald Ford and the funeral services to intercede for the Lord's mercy upon him were abounding with solemnity and dignity both at the rites of the Episcopal Church in Washington's National Cathedral and in the various military ceremonies.

Yet it was made abundantly clear that President Ford wanted the least possible honor for himself but given that he had been the President of the United States, the minimum was rather maximum. In fact, President Ford was certainly an example of how the Lord lifts up the lowly. I cannot help but comment that in the various ceremonies the excellence, character, and discipline in which our young women and men in the military are formed, could not have been more obvious and we should all be grateful for the sacrifices they make.

Sacrifices of a grieving family

Speaking of sacrifices, it might be well for us to have a thought of Betty Ford and her family at this particular time. As a priest, I have spent many hours with grieving families over many years, and the grief is never quite imaginable to one who is not of the immediate family of the deceased.

However, I have lost my own parents as an only child and I know well the pain of loss of mother and father. Public figures like the President of the United States are called upon to make many sacrifices along with their family. I know that the grief that Betty Ford felt was and is profound and I appreciate her sacrifice and the sacrifice of her children in allowing their grief to be so public.

There are times in one's life, when one has lost a loved one, or for example after major surgery, when one would just as well be left alone and enjoy privacy, as it were. The burdens of the Presidency of the United States are unimaginable, as is the presence to the public eye that seems unrelenting. To be so exposed to the public eye in the depth of grief is a tremendous sacrifice and we should all be grateful to the Fords for making that sacrifice as we commend President Ford in prayer to the Father's mercy and beg God's consolation on Mrs. Ford and the family as well.

World Day of Prayer and Peace

New Year's Day is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace and Pope Benedict gave two major addresses on New Year's Day which sounded a familiar theme.

He spoke of peace as the fruit of the universal recognition of human rights. Human rights are correctly only understood in the context of the absolute dignity of every human person, based on nature and nature's law - that is based on the plan of the Creator for the human being, the pinnacle of God's creation. Pope Benedict was addressing in a general way the very specific issues of apparent societal approval of abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and various definitions of marriage apart from one husband, one wife, one lifetime, with openness to children.

In fact, Pope Benedict specifically on the Feast of the Holy Family noted the tendency of certain societies and cultures toward the redefinition of marriage, as he did in his "State of the Church" address to his Vatican collaborators before Christmas (December 22). Pope Benedict, without using the very words, once again warned of the dangers of the "dictatorship of relativism." He warned of the inclination of certain cultures and societies to claims of human rights that are based on polls or personal opinions.

If the nature of the human person as God the Creator willed it is not expressed in our public life, then the concept of human dignity is obscured and weakened, and if the concept of human dignity is obscured and weakened, then alleged human rights, such as the right to redefine marriage or the right to an abortion, can find their way into the fabric of societal life.

Understanding, embracing Natural Law

Through all of the events of the past election season, we have seen, by and large, that the Natural Law has lost ground. One of the most unfortunate things about the conflict over Natural Law is that people become enemies over the issue. I have tried to speak to the issue without speaking of anyone as an enemy - such is the mind of Christ. But our collective resolve as the Diocese of Madison for the New Year should be, among other priorities, to come to understand the Natural Law and to invite our brothers and sisters throughout the diocese, in a loving and smiling way, to consider embracing it.

Everyone in the diocese wants peace in the world. Peace in the world is possible only when there is universal respect for authentic human rights. Authentic human rights are founded on the dignity of the human person, whose nature is defined by God the Creator. If peace is our goal, then the understanding, acceptance, and practice in our society and legislation of the Natural Law is the necessary means. We have a lot of work to do in living out the mission that we have to proclaim the truth with love in 2007.

Thank you for reading this. God bless you. May every blessing of the Lord, especially the blessings of deeper faith, health, and safety be with you and your loved ones throughout the New Year. Praised be Jesus Christ!