It is imperative that the executive and managerial leadership of organizations representing the Catholic Church also represent their respect and support of the teaching of the Church, and this is addressed by Archbishop Burke in this excerpt from a recent interview
The value of Catholic organizational influence on the public square is congruent with alignment with Catholic moral values and by indicating it does not hold them to be of a high enough value to be continually articulated by organizational leadership is to reduce the ability of the Church to inform public life, a central part of its mission.
Archbishop Burke speaks out on coach, conscience, Catholic identity
By Catholic News Service
ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- People who represent Catholic institutions have an obligation to "show respect for the teachings of the church" and not to take public positions contrary to those teachings, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis said in an interview with his archdiocesan newspaper.
In the interview with St. Louis Review staff writer Jennifer Brinker, published in the newspaper's Feb. 1 edition, the archbishop discussed comments in favor of abortion and stem-cell research made by Rick Majerus, the men's basketball coach at Jesuit-run St. Louis University.
But the archbishop also expanded the discussion to include questions of conscience and Catholic identity.
"Here is someone who makes a point to identify himself as a Catholic and then takes positions that are contrary to some of the most sacred teachings of the church -- teachings with regard to the inviolable dignity of every human life from the moment of its beginning," Archbishop Burke said of Majerus.
"It gives scandal to other people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, if they hear a Catholic give an interview to the media, saying that I am proud to be a Catholic but at the same time I hold these views," he said.
Another concern was based on Majerus' position as "a very prominent member of the St. Louis University community," Archbishop Burke said. "Whatever his personal positions may be in regard to procured abortion or embryonic stem-cell research, he's obliged as a public figure from a Catholic university to show respect for the teachings of the church. For him to say these things brought my concern to a new level."
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"The sinner is at the very heart of Christianity. Nobody is so competent as the sinner in matters of Christianity. Nobody, except the saint." Charles Peguy (1873-1914)
About
- David H. Lukenbill
- I am a California native, married, we have one daughter and live close to the American River with two cats and all the wild critters we can feed. I am a management consultant to nonprofit organizations and have an Associates of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from Sacramento City College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Public Administration degree, also from the University of San Francisco.