Posted on 08/02/2003 6:03:17 AM PDT by ninenot
Madison - Weaving theology with humor, newly installed Bishop Robert C. Morlino told some 700 Catholics on Friday in St. Raphael Cathedral that the Diocese of Madison should reach out to people in central Wisconsin with a "BLT."
Although he had already quipped about his own portly stature and love of food, his vision of the 11-county diocese's mission focused on sharing the spiritual sustenance of Christ's teachings and Eucharistic sacrifice.
"BLT - Badger them Lovingly with the Truth, which will never disappoint," Morlino said in his first homily, minutes after becoming Madison's fourth bishop.
His emphasis of the word "badger" - the nickname of the University of Wisconsin-Madison sports teams - was not lost on the hometown crowd. Neither were his references at other times to getting used to eating bratwurst.
Laughter and incense rose at various times through the midday heat in the packed cathedral. So did applause.
But the real meat of his message was theological - that objective truth and meaning are grounded in Christ and are not a matter of personal conscience or feelings.
And at the end of the two-hour service, he underscored his allegiance to traditional Roman Catholic teachings by turning to Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, the pope's delegate to the United States, and professing his unwavering love, faithfulness and obedience to Pope John Paul II.
Both his humor and his physique were similar to Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan's, who presided at the start of Friday's liturgy until Morlino was installed in the cathedra, or bishop's chair. So was his devotion to the pope.
Morlino, 56, even remarked at the end of the Mass, "I think we'll be able to substitute for one another and nobody will know the difference if they keep their distance."
Those who know Morlino best describe a man, like Dolan, unaccustomed to keeping his distance.
"I personally think he's a people's man," said Monsignor Stanley Piorkowski, 80, one of a group of friends and former neighbors who came to Friday's installation and a Thursday evening vespers service from the Scranton, Pa., area, where Morlino was raised. "He loves his priests. He loves people. He'll greet them, meet them, speak to them."
An only child, Morlino had no relatives at the service. His father died when he was in high school. His mother died in 1980. He had a close relationship with his grandmother, according to Chris DiMattio, 37, a Scranton-area investment banker.
"He's a remarkable person," said DiMattio, who grew up in the same, largely Italian neighborhood as Morlino in a Scranton suburb. "He's very humble and dedicated. He's jolly. He's just a happy priest. And he's probably the most intelligent man I know."
Morlino has a doctorate in moral theology and has taught philosophy at colleges and universities. He was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1974 but became a diocesan priest in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1981. He was appointed the bishop of Helena, Mont., in July 1999 and had not expected to be reassigned so soon.
About 40 bishops and 140 priests attended Friday's Mass, including retired Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland and Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba.
Morlino said at a news conference Thursday that he did not want to set priorities before meeting with priests and lay people. He did stress promoting vocations, saying that the priest shortage was turning around in most parts of the world.
Asked for his response to the Vatican's release of a document Thursday reiterating its opposition to same-sex unions, Morlino said the document was much more than simply a "thou shalt not."
He stressed that gays and lesbians should be treated with dignity as people for whom Jesus died, but added, "Our values, our convictions don't come out of nowhere. They're related to facts. And there are facts about marriage, there is truth about marriage. Truth has something to do with husband and wife . . . with the possibility of children. If we say, 'Basically, there is no truth about marriage. Marriage is whatever one might want it to be,' then of course, no value, no conviction follows.
"And then people are left to their own feelings to kind of decide what their convictions and their values are. And feelings are not always the most reliable guide because they change so rapidly."
Have you seen this yet?
It looks promising!
You're up early... for California time.
Good Morning!;)
Doylan has been wonderful for Milwaukee, and Morlino looks to do the same for Madison.
Pinging to you the latest thread on The Passion. (Another hit piece... what else is new?)
God Bless!
LOL! Naw, it's already 7:50am in sunny AZ...and only 82 degrees! It'll be a nice day.
Where is that other Passion hit piece? Ah, gotta go defend Mel again. What a way to start my Saturday...
Reading about Dolan and Morlino in WI gives me hope that a small but subtle tide is turning back towards God. The more those like them, including Mel, speak God's words....do you notice how loud the eveil left screams?
Just like holy water. I love it.
I look forward to your posts.
In other news, the Brooklyn, New York diocese is reportedly getting the incumbent bishop of Camden, New Jersey and all the usual suspects are enraged which is certainly a good sign.
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