Saint Louis University's Men's Basketball Coach, Rick Majerus, made a mistake (at least a mistake for the vocational position he currently occupies . . .), he spoke his mind. He expressed his own studied opinion. He articulated a personal belief . . . and Archbishop Raymond Burke dissented.
Dissenting with another person's opinion, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. In fact, it is upon such freedoms that our nation is built. But when dissent with another's opinion is expressed with the implied expectation that the other be 'corrected' or 'brought into the party line' for what they personally choose to believe, well, that is quite another story. Don't tell that to Archbishop Burke, though, he is still waiting to see what Saint Louis University is going to do to bring Majerus into something of a 'true and right spirit' (which is implied to be the full line of Catholic beliefs as interpreted by Burke).
At a gathering for Hillary Clinton, Majerus is quoted as being in support of Clinton and a supporter for 'choice' and stem-cell research (according to this morning's St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Burke has taken exception with Majerus' stands because they do not reflect the spirit or fullness of Catholic teaching and should not be verbalized by a person with standing at a Catholic institution like Saint Louis University.
What I believe about what Majerus said is of little consequence, but what Burke believes of what Majerus said is monumental: If you don't buy into all of the Catholic law (as Burke interprets it) then you obviously aren't Catholic and should not be involved in Catholic education.
Have I missed something here? Is there a new reality television show in town by the name of, "How Parochial Can We Be?" Isn't Saint Louis University self-described as an institution of 'higher education'? Is not Saint Louis University an environment which is multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and international in scope and teachings? Is Burke now prescribing the scope and offerings of this wonderful setting for advanced learnings? Are the faculty members of Saint Louis University now having to undergo vocational and personal litmus tests for religious acceptability before being allowed to exercise their God-given gifts?
I fully understand that Saint Louis University is a Catholic institution and I have absolutely no problem with that identity. What I see at stake here, though, is the very freedom of expression that our Constitution guarantees being subjugated by Church Law. The Christ of our faith died that in God's grace our sins would be forgiven. Christ is risen from the dead that our lives need not be lived in fear of those who would oppress the body, but cannot kill the soul. In all due respect, Archbishop Burke may well be within the bounds of his office to voice an objection, but his expectation of disciplinary action regarding the voicing of personal beliefs goes beyond the pale of both his office and the basic tenents of Christian faith as modeled by Jesus Christ Himself.
If Saint Louis University, in any way, silences the voice of Majerus, or any of its faculty, from expressing personal belief and studied experience in whatever personal setting they choose, then the death knell of all that is holy in the Church is being sounded at the very expense of personal human dignity and liberty as articulated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Saint Louis University administrators, faculty, staff, and students must give this latest expression of repression their fullest attention, for once the voice is silenced, once the mind is harnessed, once the spirit is broken, then all which is produced are pack animals of the party line, and that is not the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in any tradition.
2 comments:
Amen! Justin and I both watched the news in disbelief. I don't claim to understand why people believe one way or another, but thank God I can speak my mind about anything and not be disciplined for it by the "authority" of our church. Thank God for freedom of thought.
This is not the first time Archbishop Burke has attempted to influence someone associated with (or the actions of) St. Louis University - Remember the conflict with President Lawrence Biondi over the sale of St. Louis Hospital (several years ago now).
On the positive side, the University has publicly stated that Majerus has every right to speak his own convictions and that he was not at this event representing the University - but as a private citizen.
Congratulations to the University for its stance and response!!
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