In keeping with Bishop William H. Bullock’s goal to evaluate efficient use of buildings, programs, and agencies, the Diocese of Madison hired Meitler Consultants, Inc., a Milwaukee firm, to study all diocesan offices and Holy Name Seminary in Madison.
Tag: Bullock
Repealing laws you didn’t know existed
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| (CNS photo by Bob Roller) |
Decree of Abrogation |
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| To view the Diocese of Madison Decree of Abrogation, click here. |
G.K. Chesterton once observed that journalism largely consists of saying “Lord Jones is dead” to people who never knew that Lord Jones was alive. Thankfully, this article is not an obituary, but its purpose is to explain that diocesan law has been repealed to readers who likely (and justifiably) never knew that diocesan law existed.
What is diocesan law? Like any society or any family, the Church has rules for maintaining good order. Some of these rules are “universal,” meaning that they apply to the whole Church worldwide, and others are “particular,” meaning that they only apply to a certain region or community, such as an ecclesiastical province or a diocese.
Whether they are universal or particular, these rules can be either “legislative” or “executive.” Legislative rules are laws in the strict sense, and at the diocesan level they can only be issued by the diocesan bishop. Laws are meant to have broad, generic, and fairly permanent application. Executive rules, on the other hand, are meant to apply the law in specific and concrete instances. They can be issued by other executive authorities such as the vicar general in addition to the diocesan bishop, but executive rules can never contradict laws.
We see the same division between executive and legislative rules in our civil government. The legislature passes a law that says, “Cars must drive at or below the posted speed limit,” but an executive authority passes a rule that says, “The speed limit on Main Street is 30 miles per hour.” In the Church, the diocesan bishop exercises both legislative and executive power (not to mention judicial power), but any given act of governance falls into one of those categories. “Diocesan law,” then, refers to the legislative rules issued by the bishop for the diocese.
Heaven: the destination of our journeys
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| This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
As we enter this great and holy week, we are very much aware of the absence of Bishop Bullock, Bishop Wirz, Msgr. Wil Schuster, and Msgr. Tom Campion, all of whom have been called within recent months to see the face of Christ. I miss them all very much personally, and without going into detail, the passing of each one can be seen as the end of a different era in the Diocese of Madison. Their passing reminds us that, as the Scripture says, “the world as we know it is passing away.” The truth of that mystery includes each one of us as well.
Mass for Bishop William H. Bullock is ‘celebration of life and hope’
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| Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, surrounded by bishops from around the country, presides at the Mass of Christian Burial on April 7 for Bishop William H. Bullock, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Madison, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner) |
MADISON — It was “a celebration of life and hope and of Christ’s love.”
That’s how Bishop Paul J. Swain described the Mass of Christian Burial on April 7 for Bishop William H. Bullock, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Madison.
In his homily, Bishop Swain said that Bishop Bullock would not want to be remembered so much for his accomplishments as for the witness of his faith and life as a follower of Christ.
“He would want this Mass to be a celebration of life and hope and of Christ’s love, which he preached sometimes with words, and to encourage us all to live in that love, to love others as He has loved us.”
Now the bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D., Bishop Swain served for eight years with Bishop Bullock. They arrived at the chancery of the Diocese of Madison on the same day in June of 1993. Bishop George O. Wirz, who had been administrator of the diocese after the death of Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell, had asked then Fr. Paul Swain to join the chancery staff.
Thanksgiving and autumn harvest reflections
As nature decorates the hillsides with the beautiful autumn leaves, our thoughts turn to the harvest.
No mere artist can model the natural hillside of trees in arrangement and color, nor the bounty that feeds all creatures.
God is revealing himself to people and gives us abundant reason in which to see, honor, and be grateful for the order in nature.
As we behold this autumn of 2010, let us stop to praise God not only for the beauty we see in nature but also for his providential care through crops — corn, soybeans, squash, pumpkins, and all — each of which has a color, form, and purpose.
Bishops’ statements regarding Bishop Callahan
In response to news that Bishop William P. Callahan, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, was named Bishop of La Crosse June 11 by Pope Benedict XVI, the bishops of Madison released statements of congratulations and welcome.