Notes from Evil Bender

St. Louis University Basketball coach Rick Majerus is in hot water for comments supporting reproductive freedom.

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.”

Apparently Archbishop Burke believes the personal opinions of other people are worthy of punishing. Is anyone really surprised? I guess Burke figures the best way to draw people back to the church is to tell them what they can and can’t believe.

It must really bother him how many Catholics don’t base every opinion on what the official church stance is. I can understand that: after all, authoritarians don’t do well when people think for themselves. It seems the upper levels of the Catholic Church just can’t stand that they don’t get to control what their parishioners think.

The good news is it’s highly unlikely that Majerus will get in any trouble. See, the Archbishop might not like it, but Majerus is one of the most respected coaches in the nation. I have a feeling continued basketball success will rank somewhere above the Archbishop’s twisted panties on their list of considerations.

And I’m sure this was just a coincidence that this blowup happened after a Clinton rally. Without Kerry to kick around anymore, I guess they have to find other tactics but denying candidates communion to push their agenda on others.