Bishop outlines Catholic Church’s positions

April 23, 2013: The Catholic Diocese of Charleston comprises the entire state of South Carolina with Charleston as its See city. Founded in 1820, it is one of the oldest Catholic dioceses in the United States.

The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone was ordained and installed as the 13th Bishop of Charleston on March 25, 2009 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Growing up on Long Island, he attended both Cath-olic grade school and high school, graduating in 1964. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in education from St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY. For five years he taught Business at Patchogue-Medford High School, during which time he did graduate work in education at New York University.

Bishop Guglielmone spoke warmly to the luncheon gathering of the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston, spotlighting a few of the priority pro-grams he is shepherding:

The native New Yorker, turned most effective southern cleric, Bishop Guglielmone explained how the Church is a proponent of universal healthcare, providing access to top quality care for the poor in South Carolina. He clarified the points of opposition in the context of Catho-lics not able to live against the conscience of the Church, particularly in the areas of abortion and contraception. “We maintain a healthy posture of agreeing to disagree, but there are certain lines we, the Church, cannot cross,” he said logically. “The tension rests in the role of government essentially forcing us to pay for something that is immoral in our view. We believe we have a right to follow our beliefs.”

On the subject of Medicaid, he reminded the club that the Conference of Bishops agrees about the need to provide for the “poorest of the poor.” He shared with us the illustration from the Long Island hospital that turned away certain classes of patients, who in turn flocked to a nearby Catholic hospital that would not turn them away. “While neither business model is successful alone, and with both hospitals facing bank-ruptcy, the Diocese decided to merge the institutions. The merger saved both hospitals.”

The third topic he addressed was the national immigration issue. “With 75-85 percent of immigrants as catholic, we must work together to clean up the mess that is our national immigration policy today.”

And, regarding the current national debate over gay marriage, the Bishop underscored that “because of the Church’s theology, it cannot support the unions as ‘marriage.’ To be clear, the Pope supports ‘civil unions,’ the matter at hand is the definition of ‘marriage’ as singularly between a man and a woman.”
Last, he addressed the critical issue of weak public education in South Carolina. “The South Carolina Bishops are looking hard at options to help improve education conditions with a keen focus on the 95 corridor,” he said. “We must raise the level of education in these areas of great need.”

An Early Calling

Bishop Guglielmone earned a Master of Divinity at Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1977 and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre on April 8, 1978 and was assigned to St. Martin of Tours in Amityville for his first priestly ministry after ordination. He later served as a priest in parishes across Long Island, most recently as Rector of St Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre.

Bishop Guglielmone is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. He was named a Knight of Grace of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George in 1993. He was named a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) by Pope John Paul II in 1996.

An exemplar of “Service Above Self,” the Bishop drove home the role and need for the services our club  provides every day. We were treated to a truly inspirational moment.

In Other News: Cheryl Kaynard offered the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, Mark Green introduced  visiting Rotarians and Julie Medich introduced the speaker, Bishop Robert Guglielmone.

— Fred Sales, Keyway Committee