God Bless Archbishop Burke!! U.S. Army Retired |
Posted on 01/27/2008 1:10:52 PM PST by presidio9
St. Louis basketball coach Rick Majerus had no intention of creating such a firestorm when he made an appearance at a Hillary Clinton rally last Saturday night in St. Louis and answered questions regarding his pro-choice, pro-embryonic stem-cell research beliefs for a local TV affiliate.
Three days later, Archbishop Raymond Burke of the St. Louis diocese, who is very active in the pro-life movement and recently attended the March for Life conference in Washington, D.C., drew a line in the sand in response. Burke said St. Louis University, which is a university operated by the Jesuit fathers, should discipline Majerus for his comments. He then threatened to deny Majerus, a practicing Catholic, Holy Communion if the coach did not change his positions.
This is the same Raymond Burke who also threatened Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry over the same issue in 2004 and told Catholics not to attend a fund-raiser thrown by Bob Costas because Sheryl Crow, an advocate for stem-cell research, was performing.
And we thought the Inquisition ended in the 15th century.
No one has denied Burke his right - or anyone's right - to express his opinion on Roe v. Wade or stem cell research or any issue. But Burke seemed to overstep his spiritual boundaries when he threatened the First Amendment rights of a private individual in this supposedly free country and the free exchange of ideas in a university community.
Majerus, a highly intellectual person, has different philosophies, which have evolved from his life experiences and education that took place in the gyms around the country and the classrooms of Marquette High and University and in the home of his parents in Milwaukee, an equally devout Catholic city. Those philosophies are as well-researched as any opponent he has played.
"These are my personal views," Majerus said from St. Louis last night. "I'm respectful of the archbishop's position, but it's not going to change my mind. We're given free will and the right to vote for changes. I think religion should be inclusive. I would hope that all people would feel welcome inside a church, and that the church would serve to bring people together, even if they happen to disagree on certain things."
Majerus, 59, always has had a keen interest in politics. This could be in tribute to the work of his late father Ray and his 81-year-old mother Alyce, a daily communicant who was concerned her son might be excommunicated after this incident.
Although Ray did not have the benefit of being educated by the Jesuits like his son, there is no doubt he lived a life by the tenet they encourage - being a man for others. Ray Majerus became a union organizer in Milwaukee and later the secretary-treasurer of the UAW. He was not afraid to expose Rick to the picket lines for the famous Koehler, Wis., factory strike at the tender age of 7. Nor were his parents concerned when they let young Rick march in the deep South in places like Selma, Ala., with the Rev. James Groppi and Jesse Jackson when the civil rights movement was just starting to take root during the 1960s. His parents were even tear-gassed on one occasion. He campaigned with his father outside factory gates with Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale in 1976, campaigned for Kerry in three states in 2004 and plans to fly to Utah, where he is a registered Democrat, to vote in November. He also has participated in death penalty protests outside prisons, building a liberal philosophy that is ingrained in him.
Majerus is not pro-abortion, but he is pro-choice and believes a woman should have the right to choose what to do with her body, and can imagine the many facets of that anguished decision.
Majerus has yet to hear from Burke or St. Louis president Rev.Lawrence Biondi. "I understand the school can't say anything," Majerus said. "I didn't represent the school when I made those comments. At the same time, when I took this job, I didn't check my heart at the door. I understand discretion is the better part of valor, but I think I have a responsibility to speak out on something I believe in."
You may not agree with him, but Majerus has a right to be heard on important topics that affect our society, just like the rest of us. Rick Majerus is a man for all seasons, much like the martyr St.Thomas More, and feels strongly enough to resign over this if asked.
Sure he has a right to be heard. But first he has to resign his job at a Catholic college.
“Majerus is not pro-abortion, but he is pro-choice.” Sure, buddy. Big distinction there. The difference between a dead baby and a dead baby.
The irony of the title -
And the Church standing by its beliefs is a problem?
Singing St Rick’s praises for taking a stand in favor of the right to murder life in the womb? What a schmuck.
And we thought the Inquisition ended in the 15th century.
The Inquisition is like catnip to ignorant liberals.
Nobody's threatening torture here; question the belief of a Church employee is legitimate.
After a hyperbolic comment like that, I would fear more the the author than the Catholic Church.
That means his players can use steroids, HG, drugs, whatever in ‘their own body’?
He’s not rejiggering his hugh and series beliefs for anyone, yo!
| God Bless Archbishop Burke!! U.S. Army Retired |
This guy coaches basketball right?
Imagine how he would feel if a group of players came onto the court and used the rules of Aussie Rules Football to play against them. It kind of works like basketball, it’s a game of possession and not territory. There is a traveling penalty, they dribble, very close to the same game. But it is still Aussie Rules. This guy would have a hissy fit and tell them that they couldn’t play that way.
The church is playing basketball. He needs to stick with the rules.
Ridiculous. The Archbishop is not questioning his rights as an American to free speech. He's free to run his mouth on abortion in private life as a non-Catholic. As a Catholic and an official of a Catholic Jesuit university, he has to observe Catholic teaching and the moral law. The Archbishop is fully within his rights and the rights of the Church to admonish heretics for public immorality and to excommunicate them.
He has the right to be heard.Bishop Burke has the right to toss him out of the Church.Seems fair to me.
Excommunicate this flaming a$$hole.
They don't hire ignoramus fatso coaches to be public spokesmen on moral controversies. It showed bad judgment, bad manners, poor form, and a lack of common sense to throw himself into a public controversy about abortion. It's not a free speech issue. That he and his handlers continue to play this out like a martyr for free speech is extreme bad taste.
Basketball coaches are not hired to be public advocates for abortion. If he feels that strongly about it he should resign and get another job at a non-Catholic university. That he persists in this unrepentant is grotesque.
It is a very weird breed of liberal nutjob that gets upset and worked up enough to vocalize pro-abortionism in Catholic venues. That's usually a flag for some kind of personal issue.
No, he did not. Majerus works for a Catholic university, and if he speaks out publicly against church teaching, the university and/or the archdiocese has a right to discipline him.
It's just common sense, good manners, good judgment, and professional ethics not to do what he did when you work for a Catholic institution. This is a nutjob with some kind of peculiar personal problem, most likely.
Very interesting sidebar to this controversy is the fact that SLU went to the State of Missouri for Tax Increment Financing for the new basketball arena. In the subsequent lawsuit, it argued, successfully, that it was not governed by any religious organization. Therefore, if SLU disciplines Coach Majerus at the behest of the Archbishop they may put that TIF in jeopardy.
Fr. Biondi, actually believes himself to be above most authority, so he won’t do anyting.
Just one reason to not vote for Rudy the RINO
Why he got this bone-headed idea, who knows. Did one of the players on the team impregnate a girlfriend and he's trying to ease his conscience?
No coach at a Catholic university, in his right mind, would take this on. No image consultant would advise this. It's a wild U-turn. It's stupid. Off the radar. Did he have a fall recently? Maybe it's time for an MRI.
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