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	Madison-Area Catholics Decry Morlino's Leadership in Open Letter By Doug Erickson Wisconsin State Journal October 14, 2008 http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/309098 A group of Madison-area Catholics says in an open letter to Bishop Robert Morlino that he is ignoring the input of clergy and lay people, causing some parishioners to stop attending Mass and hurting the morale of priests. The letter writers point to priests banding together for fear of retribution if they dissent, pursuit of a new cathedral despite opposition, the firing of an openly gay music director, the hiring of priests who ban female altar servers and the alleged alienation of Catholics who disagree with church doctrine as examples of problems in the diocese. "We need more compassion not dismissal," the letter says. The letter, which appears as a paid advertisement in the Business section of today's Wisconsin State Journal, is the latest flare-up in an increasingly vigorous debate over Morlino's leadership of 270,000 Catholics in the 11-county Madison diocese. In a statement, the diocese said Morlino is sorry that "certain groups, who claim to be Catholic, would assume postures which clearly are not in accord with the teachings of the church." James Green of Madison, one of the organizers of the effort, said the advertisement cost about $3,500 and was paid for by more than 40 people, 36 of whom are listed by name. Seven others are remaining anonymous because they work for the church, Green said. Many of the contributors are members of the Madison branch of Call to Action (CTA), a national organization of Catholics whose positions on issues such as women's ordination and priest celibacy are at odds with church hierarchy. The Catholic Media Coalition, a group loyal to church teachings, describes CTA as the leading organization of liberal, dissenting Catholics. Brent King, spokesman for the Madison Catholic Diocese, said CTA members gave Morlino a copy of the letter Friday. The diocese statement said Morlino hopes and prays that members of the group "return to full acceptance of the faith" that comes from the apostles. "It also very much saddens the bishop when groups, such as Call to Action, resort to the use of the mass media to address internal family problems within the church," the statement said. Priests start group Asked for evidence of poor morale among priests, several of the letter signers mentioned the Association of Madison Priests. The group was formed by priests to support each other and to provide a unified voice on issues in which they differ with Morlino, according to people familiar with the group. "They feel the need to protect each other," said Joan Weiss of Prairie du Sac, a CTA leader. "They're concerned about retaliation if they speak out in opposition in any way." Weiss and others said the priest group began shortly after Morlino required all priests to play a taped message prior to the 2006 general election in which he spoke against stem cell research, the death penalty and same-sex marriage. Priests were told they could face serious consequences if they expressed disagreement. A priest who is a leader of the association confirmed the group's existence Saturday but said the group did not want to go public at this time. Another priest who is involved but not a leader said about 50 of the 135 or so active and retired priests in the diocese formed the group "to promote sociality among priests and to formulate a response to some of the diocesan policies as expressed by the bishop." The priest said Morlino has tried to squelch the group. "The bishop right from the beginning said he saw no reason for such a group and has tried to torpedo it without success," he said. The State Journal agreed to give both priests anonymity because they said they didn't want to anger Morlino. A bishop can reassign priests to smaller parishes or take action that affects their pay and pension. King, the diocese spokesman, said Morlino has had conversations with the group's leaders. At this point, Morlino views the group "neither negatively nor positively, but in a more exploratory way," King said. King strongly disagrees that priest morale is a problem. "I know a lot of priests, both traditional priests and those who may be a little more progressive, and they all seem to have pretty good morale." Independent voice There are 195 archdioceses and dioceses in the U.S., and each one is required to have a priest council. This group advises the bishop on governance, but the group generally is not open to all priests and the agenda usually is set by the bishop, the council's president. A priest association is much different, said Vic Doucette of the National Federation of Priests Councils in Chicago. Priest associations crop up independently, and their members set the agenda. "It's fairly rare," Doucette said. "I know of not even a dozen or so in the country." In Milwaukee, a priest alliance formed about seven years ago to give members brotherly support and an independent voice, said the Rev. Dave Cooper, a founder. The Milwaukee group's 126 members have a good relationship with the church's hierarchy but take opposing stands at times, Cooper said. In 2006, the priest alliance opposed a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage despite the church's strong support of it. Cooper said he has attended one meeting of the Madison group but declined to comment more specifically. "Some of the issues they're dealing with are different than ours," he said. "I really can't address that without getting into trouble or making accusations." Critics of Morlino's five-year tenure contend he rules through intimidation and fear and focuses too much on homosexuality and abortion to the detriment of other issues. "You don't hear him talking about the poor. You don't hear him saying much about the war," said Sister Mary Francis Heimann of Madison, a Catholic nun and one of the letter signers. Another letter signer, Jim Beyers, who attends St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison, said he wants Morlino to respect priests in the diocese. "He treats them like children. He's punitive toward them," Beyers said. Others say Morlino inspires them with his approach and his teaching. "We just love him," said Ron Faust of Cross Plains. "I like that he tells the truth and doesn't back away from it. I think there are more Catholics who support him, by far, but the unhappy speak the loudest." Morlino has riled some Catholics from the start. Early on, he seemed to suggest in a public comment that Madison lacks public morality. (He has since said he was merely pointing out that there are few common starting points for discussions about moral reasoning in such a diverse city.) Other actions, such as his service on an advisory board for a controversial Army training institute, have led some Catholics to question whether Morlino is a good fit for a diocese with many progressive Catholics. Selection of bishops A larger issue is whether there are any bishops other than "conservative" ones to choose from, said the Rev. Richard McBrien, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame who often clashes with the Catholic Church. "Under Pope John Paul II, the motive was clear: Replace all progressive bishops who were formed by Vatican II with conservative bishops, and thereby change the face of the U.S. hierarchy," McBrien said. "The plan has been successful." Before 1980, bishops were appointed because they excelled at pastoral care as priests, McBrien said. That pattern was replaced with one in which bishops were appointed "who were uncritically loyal to the Holy See and had absolutely clean records on such issues as contraception, priestly celibacy and the ordination of women. Bishop Morlino fits the pattern." This theory — that bishops are no more than "yes men" for the Pope — is "absurd," said Jimmy Akin, director of apologetics and evangelization for Catholic Answers in El Cajon, Calif., and a leading Catholic author. "There is no way that the Holy See can make all of the local pastoral decisions affecting the billion-plus Catholics in the world," he said. "Those decisions are made by the bishops." Terms such as "progressive" and "conservative" are drawn from politics and not useful in this discussion, Akin said. "The question is not whether bishops — or any other Catholics — are progressive or conservative, but whether they are faithful to the teachings passed down from Christ and the apostles." Morlino's fans are just as passionate as his detractors. Huan Hoang of Madison said he was "a sleeper" Catholic until two years ago when he heard a Morlino homily. "He awakened my faith," Hoang said. "He needs to know that he's leading us to Jesus Christ, and at the end of the day, that's the only thing that's important." Contact: 608-252-6149, derickson@madison.com
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