Howard Dean, Obama Campaign at Saint Louis University

Howard Dean, Obama Campaign at Saint Louis University

Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will bring presidential hopeful Barack Obama's Register for Change tour to Saint Louis University tomorrow. It is only the latest incident of a Catholic college hosting a campaign event for the pro-abortion presidential candidate.

Howard Dean, who is also the former Governor of Vermont, is notorious in American politics for his support of legalized abortion. In addition to campaigning for pro-abortion Obama, in 2002 Dean defended the legality of the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion, in which a third trimester half-delivered baby's skull is evacuated. "The notion of 'partial birth abortion' is nonsense," said Dean. "This is a rare procedure used only to save the life or health of the mother."

"The Bishops have been very clear," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). "Catholic institutions must not give a public platform to politicians who are publicly opposed to Catholic teaching. The Obama Campaign should not be welcome at Saint Louis University."

This is not the first time this year that Saint Louis University has come under criticism for abusing its Catholic identity. In January, Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, Missouri, urged the university to discipline its basketball coach for public statements in support of abortion and stem cell research, while campaigning for pro-abortion candidate Hillary Clinton.

During this presidential campaign season, The Cardinal Newman Society has lamented other appearances of pro-abortion politicians on Catholic university campuses. In February, Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin as well as St. Mary's University in Texas. In January, Saint Peter's College in New Jersey hosted a rally for Sen. Barack Obama. And in March 2007 Loras College did the same, while Michelle Obama spoke at Villanova University in March 2008.

The Cardinal Newman Society also opposed appearances of Sen. John McCain at Catholic Xavier University and Villanova last spring because of his support of embryonic stem-cell research.

Last February, CNS led a coalition of 18 Catholic organizations in support of the US Bishop’s speaker policies. They issued a statement urging Catholic institutions to "refrain from all activities that provide a public platform to, or imply support or even neutrality toward, political leaders and candidates who advocate positions on serious moral issues that are clearly contrary to Catholic teaching."

Pope Rebukes Colleges, But Was Anyone Listening?

Pope Benedict Tells Catholic College Leaders to Uphold Pro-Life Values
4/17/2008 9:17:00 PM
By Steven Ertelt -LifeNews.com

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- As pro-life advocates expected and hoped for, Pope Benedict XVI told leaders of Catholic colleges and universities that they need to uphold Catholic values. The speech is considered a great help for pro-life advocates concerned about college hosting pro-abortion speakers and candidates.

The Pope said academic freedom on college campuses has "great value" but that it does not justify abrogating Catholic teaching about the value of human life in the face of abortion and concerns on bioethics issues like euthanasia and stem cell research.

The pontiff said Catholic teaching should shape the direction of Catholic colleges and that teachers and university officials have a "profound responsibility to lead the young to truth."
"I wish to reaffirm the great value of academic freedom," Benedict told hundreds of Catholic university representatives at the Catholic University of America speech.

"Yet it is also the case that any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission," he said.

Though he didn't mention abortion issues or pro-abortion speakers specifically, attendees couldn't mistake the implications of his comments.

"Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice," Benedict said.

"Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual."

For pro-life advocates who have complained about the rash of recent pro-abortion speakers on campus -- such as Hillary Clinton at St. Mary's University and St. Peter's College hosting Barack Obama -- news of a "rebuke" from Pope Benedict is welcome.

Some of the recent concerns about pro-abortion speakers at Catholic Colleges include:

* Pennsylvania-based Mercyhurst College agreed to host a rally for pro-abortion candidate Hillary Clinton.

* King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania hosted a rally for Hillary Clinton

* University of St. Thomas (TX) President Robert Ivany had to cancel a scheduled speech by pro-abortion Latino leader Dolores Huerta.

* St. Mary's University, also in Texas, came under fire from pro-life advocates for hosting a rally for pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

* St. Louis University officials came under fire for not disciplining basketball coach Rick Majerus after the pro-abortion comments he made at a rally for Clinton.

* Trinity University in Washington, D.C. got heat from Reilly's group for continuing to extol two of its pro-abortion alumnae, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

* St Peter's College, a Jesuit Catholic institution, allowed pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to hold a rally there.

Archbishop Burke "Profoundly Saddened" at Catholic University Basketball Coach's Abortion Support

Note: The Archbishop is to be commended for using this incident as a teaching moment. Coach Majerus should be ashamed of himself but his is a will hardened against all natural reason. He is an apostate and a heretic. Indeed, Majerus attempts to marginalize Catholic teaching by confining them to the "opinion" of the bishop and then elevating his own opinion to that of the bishop. This is about the same as a slug claiming equivalence with a human. The president of SLU is the typically immasculine, let's all just get along type, who will only act when his job or college endowment is threatened. He has long ago forgotten his vows to Christ and looks more forward to retirement than to Heaven. He probably sees his inaction and indifference to the incident as elevating his stature in the eyes of his equally lukewarm peers.

Archbishop Burke "Profoundly Saddened" at Catholic University Basketball Coach's Abortion Support

By Hilary White

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, February 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Archbishop Raymond Burke of the St. Louis Archdiocese has expressed his "profound sadness" that a prominent sports coach at St. Louis University publicly expressed his support for abortion and destructive embryo research.

In an interview with the diocesan newspaper, the St. Louis Review, Archbishop Burke said, "At a time when in the Church we need to give such a strong witness to the dignity of human life and the Respect Life Apostolate, this counter witness is being given. I was very sad. Did it upset me? Yes, it did."

In January, Rick Majerus, the basketball coach at St. Louis University, a Jesuit institution, while voicing his support for Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democrat presidential nomination, also announced his support for legal abortion and embryo research. In response Archbishop Burke said he expected the school to discipline Majerus.

Burke told the St. Louis Review that the problem is one of "scandal", which in Catholic theological terminology means to "lead other people astray". He explained that his main concern is to "correct any perception" that it is possible to be at the same time a Catholic and in support of abortion or embryo research.

Speaking from the March for Life in Washington DC, Archbishop Burke said at the time that as a Catholic employee of a Catholic institution, Majerus was not free to "make statements which call into question the identity and mission of the Catholic Church."

Majerus, however, showed no remorse, telling media his "First Amendment right to free speech supersedes anything that the archbishop would order me to do".

"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," Majerus said.

But Archbishop Burke says Majerus was charged with a "sacred trust" as an employee of a Catholic university. Above all, the Archbishop said, "no Catholic institution could have its representatives espousing such positions. When people take a position at a Catholic institution, there's a certain sacred trust involved there."

The issue is not a political matter of freedom of speech, said Burke. "It's not a question of freedom of speech. Academic freedom is something quite different. It gives you a freedom to make declarations within your particular area of competence, and according to the canons (laws) for investigation of the truth. It doesn't give you a kind of heightened freedom to make declarations that are contrary to the truth."

Burke said that as a representative of a Catholic institution, someone who has views opposed to those of the Catholic Church has a duty to remain silent on the issues. "If there is a Catholic who for some reason is struggling with his or her adherence to this, then the correct thing to do is to be silent - certainly not to expound error or to air doubts that you're trying to resolve in your own mind. But to seek the help of a spiritual director to clarify these things."

Burke said that a person claiming to be a Catholic and making statements such as those made by Majerus in a public forum, "lead(s) other people astray with regard to what the Church teaches".

"You can lead astray Catholics, and you also can lead non-Catholics into error about what the Church teaches. And you even can influence them to do things that are gravely wrong. And this is what we call scandal: when you do something which leads other people into error or even into committing a sin."

"This is a very serious matter when a Catholic publicly espouses a position contrary to the faith."

St. Louis University has yet to make an official response to Archbishop Burke's concerns. A spokesman for the university, Jeff Fowler, at the time said only that Majerus' comments were not related to his role at the university. "Rick's comments were his own personal view. They were made at an event he did not attend as a university representative."

"More On" St. Louis U and Rick Majerus from LifeNews

St. Louis University Basketball Coach Responds to Abortion Comment Fallout

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com EditorJanuary 24, 2008

St. Louis, MO (LifeNews.com) -- The coach of the St. Louis University basketball team says he's shocked at the national attention he's received for the pro-abortion comments he made at a rally for pro-abortion presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Rick Majerus has come under fire from Catholic officials for defying the Church's pro-life views.

"I'm pro-choice personally. I believe that's the province of being a woman," Majerus said earlier this week about his position in favor of abortion.

Saint Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke condemned the comments and said Majerus is doing the Catholic university a disservice by speaking out against a prominent Catholic teaching.

Majerus told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Thursday that he can't believe the
condemnation he's received, including Burke's saying he should be denied
communion.

"I'm very respectful to the archbishop, but I rely on my value
judgments, thanks to my education at Marquette, which is a Jesuit institution,
just like St. Louis," he said.

"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,"
Majerus told the newspaper.

"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," he added.

Burke has said the university should discipline Majerus, but college officials have said he isn't speaking for the educational institution and that his views are his own.

"It's not possible to be a Catholic and hold those positions,""Burke said after hearing what Majerus 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 the identity and mission of the Catholic church."

The Cardinal Newman Society, a pro-life group that holds Catholic colleges accountable to Church teaching, is behind Burke.

"We are grateful to Archbishop Burke for his example and leadership," Patrick Reilly, the group's president, told LifeNews.com.

"His call for disciplinary action is entirely consistent with Vatican principles for Catholic universities. Sadly, St. Louis University has repeatedly violated those principles," Reilly said.

Reilly pointed to the Vatican’s apostolic constitution on Catholic universities, Ex corde Ecclesi, which requires that "Catholic members of the university community are also called to a personal fidelity to the Church with all that this implies. Non-Catholic members are required to respect the Catholic character of the university, while the university in turn respects their religious liberty."

"Holding private views is one thing, publicly advocating them with the aim of transforming society and endorsing politicians is a much different matter," Reilly said.

Majerus also added in his original remarks that he favors embryonic stem cell research, that involves the destruction of human life and has never helped patients.

He is a long-time abortion advocate and political activist and he campaigned for pro-abortion presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004.

Saint Louis University Basketball Coach Declares Himself Pro-Abortion

Rick Majerus Forgets He Works For Catholic University. Or Does He?

I'm afraid it's just the times we're in that Jesuit University Presidents are so weak in maintaining any Catholic identity that their employees feel free to contradict Catholic faith and morals publicly. It probably didn't even occur to Jabba the Coach that he was saying anything wrong or even controversial. St. Louis U has caught our attention before as Fr. Biondi was once on the board of Tenet Health System that performed abortions in its hospitals. Let's see how he reacts to this...

Majerus abortion rights comment gets St. Louis bishop's attention
Associated Press

Updated: January 23, 2008, 12:24 PM ET

ST. LOUIS -- A Roman Catholic archbishop said Tuesday that he will ask officials of Saint Louis University to take "appropriate action" against its basketball coach, who said in a television interview that he supports abortion rights.

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke says he's concerned abortion rights comments made by basketball coach Saint Louis coach Rick Majerus (above) could "lead Catholics astray."One of the game's winningest coaches, Rick Majerus made the comment at a weekend rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke declined to say what the action against Majerus should be, saying that was a decision for the Jesuit university. But he said the coach is a leader and shouldn't support views in opposition to church teaching.

"I'm concerned that a leader at a Catholic university made these comments. It can lead Catholics astray," Burke said by telephone as he attended March for Life anti-abortion events in Washington. "I just believe that it's of the essence for people to understand as a Catholic you just cannot hold these beliefs."

Burke said he will seek to speak with university president Rev. Lawrence Biondi, or a representative, when he returns to St. Louis.

During an interview with KMOV-TV at Saturday's Clinton rally in suburban St. Louis, the first-year Billikens coach identified himself as a Catholic and called himself pro-choice. At first when asked for his views on abortion, he said he didn't want to "go there," but then said he is personally "pro-choice."

Saint Louis University spokesman Clayton Berry said Majerus was at the rally as an individual, not as a representative of the school.

Majerus has one of the best winning percentages among active college basketball coaches with a 432-154 career record. Most of those wins, and a 1998 Final Four appearance, came at the University of Utah, which he left in 2004 due to health concerns.

Before taking the Saint Louis job he worked as an ESPN analyst, and accepted and quickly gave up the coaching job at Southern California.

Burke set off a national debate in 2004 when he said he would deny Holy Communion to John Kerry, then the Democratic presidential nominee, because the Catholic Massachusetts senator supports abortion rights.

The archbishop resigned last year as board chairman for the Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation because of a benefit-concert appearance by Sheryl Crow, a native Missourian who supports abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Boycott Amnesty International on Catholic Campuses

Ivory Tower Heretics Blog is calling on Catholic Colleges and Universities to discontinue affiliation with Amnesty International over their policy to support abortion.

Amnesty International supports abortion. In their twisted logic, they believe abortion should be available due to violence against women in cases of rape and incest.

The Catholic Church teaches that ABORTION IS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN! Not only is the procedure itself harmful to women, causing elevated risks of infertility, bleeding, breast cancer and psychological trauma, but in many countries abortion is used for sex selection, with females the intended victims. Abortion is murder of an innocent human baby, plain and simple.

The Vatican and Catholic Bishops have condemned AI's position and have even resigned from their board over this issue.

Note: Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that Catholics worldwide would boycott AI if it didn’t reverse the position at their biennial meeting."If in fact Amnesty International persists in this course of action, individuals and Catholic organizations must withdraw their support because, in deciding to promote abortion rights, Amnesty International has betrayed its mission," he said.

Amnesty International seems to propose that only some types of abortion can be advocated while excluding others such as forced abortions and sex selection. This is intellectually dishonest since there is no evidence that once the abortion industry sets up camp, greed isn't the prime motivator. In our own country, it is actually the rapist and family abuser who benefits most from the abortion industry as seen in Kansas where a lawsuit alleges that Planned Parenthood has covered up abortions of minors where rape and incest likely occurred. In fact, this seems to be standard procedure for Planned Parenthood as a core constituency is husbands, fathers and boyfriends who force women and girls into abortion as their "free choice".

Amnesty International was founded by a devout Catholic but has turned its back on Catholic faith and morals as the basis for human rights. They should have no place on Catholic college campuses.

We'll be listing Catholic colleges and universities in the coming days that have active AI chapters or affiliations. Here is the list today:

Georgetown University
Notre Dame
Boston College
Catholic University of America
DePaul University
Seton Hall University
Villanova University
St. Louis University
St. John's University
Santa Clara Law
University of San Francisco
Holy Cross College
Duquesne University
Creighton University
Providence College