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| In the Spirit: More from Bishop Robert Morlino...
By Doug Erickson
Wisconsin State Journal
July 29, 2013
http://host.madison.com/wsj/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/in-the-spirit-more-from-bishop-robert-morlino-on-female/article_c327dcf6-ffba-5cc5-b3de-8fef3d566e2e.html
When Madison Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino was a parish priest in Kalamazoo, Mich., he handled the issue of altar servers by using all girls one weekend, then all boys the next, he said. The alternating schedule helped eliminate "distractions," he said.
That was just one of many items I didn't have space for in Sunday's article on Morlino's 10-year tenure. A few others:
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On how he'll mark his 10-year anniversary Thursday. "I'm not so much into celebrating myself, although I'm totally grateful for the 10 years I've had here. Only God knows how truly grateful I am." He's more inclined to have a little gathering next year upon his 40th anniversary as a priest, he said.
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On how he handles criticism: "I've certainly grown in my ability to deal with that aspect of my life here. If God gives you the call, he also gives you the grace to handle the call, and the Lord has been very generous to me in his grace."
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On how Catholics should approach worship: "Some people were going to Mass to be entertained -- 'I go to St. So-and-So because I like the music,' or 'I go to St. So-and-So because I like the priest.' I like, I like, I like. The reason Catholics go to Mass is to offer sacrifice. It's not to be entertained or to do what they like."
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On how the increased number of seminarians in the diocese should help the priest shortage: "I'm filled with hope for the Church down the line, because when I'm pushing up daises, these men are really going to be doing great work for the mission of Christ here in Madison."
I asked Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican: the Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church," about Morlino's impressive success in getting more men to enter the priesthood.
"Increasing the number of seminarians is a priority for every bishop, yet few have figured out how to do it," he said.
He added a note of caution.
"When outsiders see the numbers go up dramatically, they wonder whether the candidates are being screened properly," Reese said. "Do they have the intellectual, psychological and pastoral qualities needed in a good priest? Quality matters more than quantity."
Morlino assured me quality is Job One for him, too.
"I just thank God for his goodness, because we're getting not only a good quantity of seminarians, but a good quality of young men," he said.
The Roman Catholic Church does not ordain women, a fact the Women's Ordination Conference would like to change. A co-president of the national group's board of directors, Johanna Hatch, lives in Verona. I asked her to comment on Morlino's tenure so far.
"While there are many conservative bishops with similar records in the United States, Bishop Morlino’s disdain towards women has been a detriment to our community," she said.
She mentioned several incidents she said illustrate this disdain, from letting priests at a few diocesan parishes use only boys as altar servers to recently banning leaders of Wisdom’s Well Spirituality Center in Madison, including two Catholic religious sisters, from speaking in diocesan churches because of the ecumenical nature of their work.
"I was raised with a great sense of the Catholic Church as a big tent – 'Here comes everybody!' But living in this diocese has taken a toll on my personal faith," Hatch said. "I often feel like a refugee. My family and I have made the decision to not worship in a Catholic church in the diocese. It is no longer a safe place for us. But I am still Catholic, and no one can take that from me."
Offering a much different take on Morlino is Del Teeter, a parishioner from Waunakee, whose son, Andrew, is a seminarian.
"Madison Catholics need a pastor like Bishop Morlino – someone who is trained in moral theology and not afraid to teach us right where we live: at the intersection of faith and political concerns," said Teeter, noting that Madisonians love their politics and often look for political solutions to societal problems.
"Another thing about Madison is that we forget our nice Midwestern manners when it comes to politics. We get loud and rude and turn into bullies," he said. "Our Bishop Morlino has endured some terrible insults and slanders and threats. A lesser man might have let himself be bullied into silence, or lashed out in anger and imprudent speech. Bishop Morlino is always courageous in teaching the truth of Catholic faith, and docile in enduring the insults of the public. Jesus was the same way."
To continue the discussion, join me at noon today (Monday, July 29) for a live chat on madison.com. I'll take your comments and questions about Morlino's tenure and the State Journal's religion coverage.
Contact: derickson@madison.com
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