This Is Getting Ridiculous

[Danzig]

"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."

The dispute between the archbishop and the coach puts students and faculty in the midst of a common clash pitting Catholic doctrine against intellectual freedom. The private university is independent of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and therefore beyond the bishop's purview, but is tied to it culturally as a Catholic institution.

"I'm a Catholic, and I support the church's stance. As an American, I also support people's free speech," said Andrew Clifton, the Student Government Association president.

Berry said Burke doesn't have any direct control over the university, which is operated by priests in the Jesuit order, also known as the Society of Jesus.