Robert James Carlson

Infobox bishopbiog


name = Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson
|religion = Catholic Church
See = Saginaw
Title = Bishop of Saginaw
Period = December 29 2004 — present
Predecessor = Most Rev. Kenneth E. Untener
Successor = incumbent
date of birth = Birth date and age|1944|6|30|mf=y
place of birth = Minneapolis, Minnesota|

Bishop Robert Carlson (born June 30 1944, Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a Roman Catholic bishop currently serving the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw in Saginaw, Michigan. He was ordained for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on May 23 1970 and was then consecrated bishop on January 11 1984, serving as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

On January 13 1994, he was named coadjutor bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, and became the seventh bishop of that diocese on March 21 1995 succeeding Bishop Paul V. Dudley upon his retirement. He was appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw by decree from Pope John Paul II on December 29 2004 and was installed on February 24 2005, succeeding the late Bishop Kenneth E. Untener. Bishop Carlson's episcopal motto is "Ante crucem nihil defensionis" ("Before the cross there is no defense").

Education

Robert James Carlson earned a bachelor's degree for philosophy from Saint Paul Seminary in 1966; earned a master's degree for divinity from St. Paul Seminary in 1970; and earned a Licentiate in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in 1979.

Appointments

Bishop Carlson serves as:
* Episcopal Advisor for the Cursillo Movement, Region VI
* Chairman of the USCCB Committee for Catholic Charismatic Renewal
* Member of the Canon Law Society of America
* Board member for the Catholic Mutual Relief Society in Omaha, Nebraska
* Member of the USCCB Subcommittee on Youth and Young Adults
* Board member for the International Dominican Foundation
* Board member for St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado
* President of the Bishop's Advisory Board at the Institute of Priestly Formation in Omaha

Vocations

Since his installation as bishop, Bishop Carlson has emphasized vocations and has taken on the role of diocesan vocations director himself. In 2005 the number of seminarians increased from 4 to 12, and in 2006 the number of seminarians again increased to 19. [Mercer, J. (December 10, 2006) "A 'Culture of Vocations' Brings Vitality to the Saginaw Diocese" National Catholic Register.] In August 2006 the first permanent deacon in 25 years was ordained for the diocese. [Treadwell, M. (August 15 2006) "Deacon Ordination First in 25 Years", Press Release.] In June 2007, two men were ordained to the priesthood and five to the transitional deaconate.

Culture of Life

In 2003, Carlson told Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota that his stance on such issues as abortion were in conflict with Roman Catholic teaching, and he told Daschle that he should no longer identify himself as a Catholic. Daschle had previously denounced Bishop Carlson as being "more identified with the radical right than with thoughtful religious leadership." [Bottum, J. (April 17 2003) "Tom Daschle's Duty To Be Morally Coherent" Weekly Standard. ] In an August, 2004, statement, Carlson reportedly "stopped short" of saying that it was a sin for a Catholic to vote for a Democrat. [Sanderson, Jennifer (October 24 2004) "Politics Mingles Uneasily With Faith." Argus Leader ]

References

External links

* [http://www.saginaw.org Diocese of Saginaw]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dsagi.html Catholic Hierarchy page on Diocese of Saginaw]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcarlson.html Catholic Hierarchy page on Bishop Robert J. Carlson]
* [http://saginaw.org/writings/8 Bishop Carlson, "Promoting the Culture of Life" from Michigan Right to Life News]
* [http://www.saginaw.org/vocations/main/ Diocese of Saginaw Vocations page]
* [http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=22277 Article about Saginaw Vocations]
* [http://www.saginawserraclub.org/ Saginaw Serra Club website]
* [http://www.stthomas.edu/spssod Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity]
* [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/002/559jrrei.asp Article about Bishop Carlson and Tom Daschle]