The American Spectator

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New Jesuit Spokesman

1.29.08 @ 12:01AM

FIND ME IN ST. LOUIS
Re: George Neumayrs A Man for Ball Seasons:

As a graduate of Saint Louis University, its law school, and a fine high school of the same name, I must concur with Mr. Neumayr's astute analysis of the sorry state of affairs there. Still, I will always love the Jesuits and pray for their conversion daily.
-- G. Tracy Mehan, III
Vienna, Virginia

I taught at St. Louis University from 1967-75, just at the time that fine university was starting to pull away from its Jesuit roots. Ironically, they hired me thinking that an old Yankee two-"l" Willson had to be a Protestant, which is what they were looking for to complement their "lay" Board of Trustees. That I turned out to be a Catholic was not held against me.

The old generation of Jesuits I encountered there was made up of some of the finest men I have ever known. They could out-think, out-pray, and even out-drink most mortals. The new generation, on the other hand...It's sad to see the present SLU not only turn away from its inheritance, but run away as fast as it can. It is a great institution, however, and the Holy Spirit will not abandon it.
-- John Willson
Professor of History, Emeritus
Hillsdale College

My money is on Bishop Burke. He has won twice before in a tussle with the "defenders of the faith."

1. Biondi had to resign from the board of directors of a health organization that performed abortions.

2. Vagina Monologues is now "off" campus.

Members of the Cardinal Newman society sent emails etc. for five years protesting with no results. In comes Savonarola Burke and things begin to happen. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
-- Annette Cwik

I understand Mr. Neumayr's frustrations with Rick Majerus and St. Louis University, but his protests go a bit too far. He may not like the fact that this has become a free speech issue, but it is. Whether or not you agree with Majerus and his ideas about abortion, I think he has every right to express those ideas at a political rally. If the church can stop him doing that, what's next -- telling him what political views he should hold?

Besides, it seems that the church allowed things to get out of hand at this institution, so it is a bit late to suddenly decide that they are not following church ideas closely enough. If the church wanted to have control at these institutions, the opportunity was there from the beginning; the church should have imposed its will here long ago. Once the church allows the secular to take over the running of the institution, it cannot pretend to be upset when the institution begins to exhibit secular traits.
-- Eric Edwards
Walnut Cove, North Carolina

I find it interesting how many people, mostly liberal (Coach Majerus in particular) feel that the Catholic Church must accommodate them, even if their beliefs are contrary to church doctrine. It is not the job of any church to change its positions for you. Rick Majerus has the right to say whatever he feels without government restriction. But if the university or the church decide to deem his belief as objectionable and he is reprimanded by the university, they most certainly have justification. It is not a matter of whether one agrees or disagrees with Catholic Church Doctrine. It is doctrine, and one can simply choose not to belong to the church if he or she disagrees. But don't ask thousands of years of religious principle to be altered for one's own secular views.
-- Scott Cason

For those of us who have grown up and old in the Roman Catholic Faith it comes as no surprise that St. Louis University cares not a whit about the pro abortion comments of its basketball coach. I, like many others who have watched the American wing of the Church stumble leftward these many years since the promulgation of Vatican II, have pretty much given up the idea that what is wrong for me is wrong for the high profile Catholics such as Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, just to name two. I suppose I better add Mr. Majerus's name to the list now that he has been given the imprimatur to speak for the Jesuits.

I was especially enamored of the Jesuitical defense of Mr. Majerus by the powers that be at the university. To say that asking him to keep his views about abortion to himself would be a violation of his constitutional right to free speech is as great a cop out as I have ever heard. I wonder what stance these "men of God" would take were he to wax eloquent about abortions for Blacks, or forced sterilization for Catholic priests, or barring Muslims from entry to the University.

Perhaps the Jesuits should go back to attempting to determine how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Now that would be interesting.
-- Joseph Baum
Garrettsville, Ohio

Thank you, theologian Majerus, for your stunningly brilliant treatise on the exercise of personal conscience in the Catholic tradition. Maybe the real source of your elderly Mom's consternation is that she raised such a blithering jackass!

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Education, Hillary Clinton, Television, Religion, Catholicism, Islam, Abortion, Books, Constitution, Law, NATO