Cardinal Burke, continued

Cardinal Burke, recently ejected from his 5000-square-foot rent-free luxury apartment in the Vatican by Pope Francis, is a friend of Steve Bannon and far-right wing American politicos.  He was the keynote speaker in 2019 at the gathering of super right-wing Catholics at the Napa Institute. 

Senator Lindsey Graham, former Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and recently removed Archbishop Strictland were prominent attendees.  Burke is champion of the so-called “traditionalists” who oppose Vatican II and the current pope. 

In  In the Closet of the Vatican, journalist Frédéric Martel describes photos in Burke’s apartment where he “always appears surrounded by obsequious chaperones…kneeling in front of him or page boys carrying the long red train of his cappa magna as choirboys might for a bride.  What a spectacle!” 

One priest in the Vatican, “hardly containing his mirth,” told Martel, that “with a pope who doesn’t wear red shoes or eccentric outfits, Burke goes literally mad.”

Martel claims that “there are no adjectives to describe this cardinal draped in his female attire.  And there you have your gender theory!”  Burke condemns “gender theory” vociferously–“some men (in the US) insist on going into women’s rest rooms.  It is inhuman,” he proclaims.   

Martel describes how Burke “is anti-gay and rages against homosexuality in broad daylight.”  Being “the spokesman for the ‘traditionalists’ and the front-runner in terms of homophobia with the Roman Curia”—the Italian hierarchy actually run from him because “his homophobia is so intense that it even disturbs the most homophobic Italian cardinals.”

Among Burke’s “teachings” are these:

• Never invite gay couples to family gatherings when children are present.

• Stable gay couples are like “the person who murders someone and yet is kind to other people.”

• Same-sex marriage is “an act of defiance against God” and “there is only one space these types of lies come from, namely Satan.”*

It almost seems like he protesteth too much.

Martel reports that gay bishops and cardinals are the most anti-gay; while heterosexual hierarchy are the most pro-gay.  Go figure.

*Frederic Martel, In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy, pp. 22-53.

See Matthew Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can be Saved

And Fox, A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality and the Transformation of Christianity.

And Fox, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors To Awaken the Sacred Masculine.

Banner Image: His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke enters the sanctuary wearing the Cappa Magna for Solemn Benediction at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory. He is accompanied by his Familiari, who represent the members of his household. Photo by Phil Roussin on Flickr.

Queries for Contemplation

Over 491 bills have been introduced in America this year targeting the LGBTQ+ community and an alarming surge in hate crimes toward this community is happening.  What can healthy religion do about this?   

Recommended Reading

The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved

The Pope’s War offers a provocative look at three decades of corruption in the Catholic Church, focusing on Josef Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The final section in the book focuses on birthing a truly catholic Christianity.
“This book should be read by everybody, not only for its ferocious courage, but also for its vision for what needs to be saved from the destructive forces that threaten authentic Christianity.” ~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.
“In the gripping The Pope’s War, Matthew Fox takes an unwavering look at the layers of corruption in the Catholic Church, holding moral truth against power.”   — Jason Berry, author of Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II

A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality & The Transformation of Christianity

A modern-day theologian’s call for the radical transformation of Christianity that will allow us to move once again from the hollow trappings of organized religion to genuine spirituality. A New Reformation echoes the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther in 1517 and offers a new vision of Christianity that values the Earth, honors the feminine, and respects science and deep ecumenism.
“This is a deep and forceful book….With prophetic insight, Matthew Fox reveals what has corrupted religion in the West and the therapy for its healing.” ~Bruce Chilton, author of Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography

The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine

To awaken what Fox calls “the sacred masculine,” he unearths ten metaphors, or archetypes, ranging from the Green Man, an ancient pagan symbol of our fundamental relationship with nature,  to the Spiritual Warrior….These timeless archetypes can inspire men to pursue their higher calling to connect to their deepest selves and to reinvent the world.
“Every man on this planet should read this book — not to mention every woman who wants to understand the struggles, often unconscious, that shape the men they know.” — Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of The Left Hand of God