Technical Foul

Following up on Chad's post yesterday about the absence of Catholic leadership at Catholic universities, I see basketball coach Rick Majerus opened his enormous yap this week while campaigning for Hillary Clinton:

The Catholic basketball coach for the Catholic St. Louis University looked into the TV camera at the Clinton rally last weekend and said, "I'm pro-choice, personally."

"I'm very much an advocate for stem cell research," Majerus told KMOV-TV at the Saturday rally at McCluer North High School.

The problem, screaming mimis of censorship, is that Majerus isn't just some multi-million dollar mercenary coach for Big State U spouting off on behalf of the fashionable political positions of the day. Nobody would have a legitimate objection to his words if that were the case. (At least beyond the natural loss of respect you'd feel for anyone campaigning for Hillary Clinton).

The problem is that Majerus, for some reason, finds himself in a leadership position at a Catholic school. Someone his players and the wider student body would naturally admire and respect. So when he's advocating behavior the school believes it has a divine mandate to oppose, there will be consequences and ramifications. Or at least there should be.

I'm pleasantly surprised the Catholic Church still has a few national leaders willing to speak the truth on these controversial issues. Archbishop Burke to the breech:

"I'm confident (SLU) will deal with the question of a public representative making declarations that are inconsistent with the Catholic faith," Burke said. "When you take a position in a Catholic university, you don't have to embrace everything the Catholic church teaches. But you can't make statements which call into question that identity and mission of the Catholic church."

Common sense. Something you wouldn't think you'd have to explain to a responsible adult. Burke goes on to say:

"I'm concerned that a leader at a Catholic university made these comments. It can lead Catholics astray," Burke said Tuesday. "

Bingo. What Majerus said in his position has the power to influence people, not only to misunderstand the teachings of the Church, but also to imperil their immortal souls. Kind of high stakes there. You don't have to believe that, but the institution educating these students and employing Majerus does. Since it's a relationship all parties entered into freely, the case for righteous dissent and victim status is laughable.

That doesn't stop Majerus from trying. His reaction to Archbishop Burke's comments:

"I'm very respectful to the archbishop," Majerus said. "But I rely on my value judgments, thanks to my education at Marquette, which is a Jesuit institution, just like St. Louis. And that Jesuit education led me to believe that I can make a value judgment. And my value judgment happens to differ from the archbishop's."

"I do not speak for the university or the Catholic Church. These are my personal views. And I'm not letting him change my mind. 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."

You get the sense Majerus doesn't think beyond himself very much. Childish stubbornness and appeals to the secular church of tolerance above all. That is enough to get applause from liberal, blowhard sportswriters around the country, who are always looking for ways to exhibit their vast intelligence and judgment beyond the mere realm of sports. But it's not relevant.

The argument is simple. You have Catholic teaching on morality according to the Archbishop, the Pope, and about 2,000 years of tradition. You have a different teaching according to Rick Majerus's value judgments. Which should a Catholic school feel compelled to impart to its students?

Majerus goes on:

"These beliefs are ingrained in me," Majerus told the paper. " And my First Amendment right to free speech supersedes anything that the archbishop would order me to do. My dad fought on Okinawa in World War II. My uncle died in World War II. I had classmates die in Vietnam. And it was to preserve our way of life, so people like me could have an opinion."

I see his Jesuit education did about as good in teaching him Constitutional law as it did in teaching him Catholic doctrine. Regarding his appeal to the First Amendment in the matter of a private institution's ability to discipline its employees for inappropriate behavior, I quote a damning critique. The First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Really, those first five words are essential in understanding these rights. Until the White House signing ceremony of the bill to silence Rick Majerus, he needs to stop wrapping himself in the Constitution.

Majerus's defense of himself is more damaging to his credibility than his original comments. You have to wonder how a man like this got hired by a Catholic university in the first place. Or by any university which values knowledge, wisdom, civility, composure, loyalty, sacrifice, etc.

I suspect there was something valued more by St. Louis University than those characteristics. Something more important in the grand scheme of things.

Majerus is an excellent basketball coach, a proven winner. He's paid one like too. This Catholic university is reportedly paying him an astonishing $1 million per year on a six year contract.

How does a school with this mission statement:

The Mission of Saint Louis University is the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.

justify spending that much for a guy in charge coaching a sport, which should be nothing more than a distraction, a sideshow?

This may have something to do with it:

Athletic director Cheryl Levick wanted to give [the former coach] one more season but was overruled by [university president Father Lawrence Biondi], who envisioned the hiring of Majerus as a complement to the school’s new $85 million on-campus arena due to open in November 2008.

You can't argue with the economics. You've got to spend money to make money. The bills for that $85 million arena need to be paid and it will be easier with a winning basketball team, the kind Rick Majerus can give you. So what's a little heresy between business partners, as long as you're in the black?

The problem goes beyond Rick Majerus's values. It's the school's values that brought a guy like Majerus into a leadership role at a Catholic university in the first place.