The Pope’s Unforced Error: His demotion of Cardinal Burke could turn out to be a great mistake.

Vatican politics is notoriously fickle, and media reports about who is in and who is out usually depend on the particular bias of the reporter. However, for months, reports from both the ecclesiastical left and the right were in agreement about the imminent demotion of the leading American cardinal in the Vatican: the Church’s chief justice, or, to give him his proper the title, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial authority in the Church, after the pope — Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke. For once, it seems, the tittle-tattle over the evening limoncello was correct. Burke has been “promoted” downward to a position that is normally a sinecure for an elderly cardinal past his sell-by date. As the new cardinal protector of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Burke, a youthful 66, will now oversee the Knights of Malta, one of the oldest existing military orders in the Catholic Church. They are known today mainly for their works of charity.

Burke has been viewed by many as a spokesman for the “loyal opposition” to the somewhat frenetic leadership of the media’s darling, Pope Francis. After the recent synod on the family, when backroom attempts to force through dramatic changes in Church teaching and practice, seemingly with Francis’s tacit approval, were resisted by none other than Burke and the Australian “bruiser,” Cardinal George Pell, the understanding that Burke’s days were numbered was all but confirmed. His comments a few weeks later that the Church under Francis appeared to be like a “rudderless ship” were clearly the nail in this cardinal’s coffin.

Despite the image of Francis as a man of dialogue and compromise, he is regarded in Rome as the most authoritarian pope in decades. He is also a man known to settle scores. Immediately after his election as pope, he swiftly moved an Argentinian bishop known to have been his chief opponent when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires — another “downward” promotion — transferring him to an obscure position in the Vatican bureaucracy. In the space of just over two years, Pope Bergoglio has been removing, or not reappointing, many of the key men put in place by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

Yet Burke stayed on as the “pope’s judge,” not least because he was seen by many as the most able man for the job. Meanwhile, Vatican watchers noted that he was the most senior figure to keep his position but not be confirmed in it by Pope Francis. Even Cardinal Burke’s enemies — and he has many, and they are all ideological — admit that he is exceptional in that he has never evinced ambition for higher office. But Francis brooks no opposition, so Burke had to go.

His crimes? Burke upholds traditional Biblical teaching on marriage and encourages devotion to the traditional Latin Mass. He is regularly seen in different countries celebrating a liturgy that Francis regards as a relic of the past, although the churches where these Masses are celebrated are usually filled with large young families, and they produce a wealth of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. (Buenos Aires was known to have hardly any vocations in the seminary during the time that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop.) But perhaps Cardinal Burke’s most glaring offense was that he declared that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be refused Communion.

The titular appointment of Burke to an apparently irrelevant ancient chivalric order looks like an effort to sideline him, but it might turn out to be the Argentinian pope’s greatest mistake. Burke himself, unlike many, is a true man of the Church, and he is unshakably loyal to the successor of Saint Peter. There is, in fact, no “opposition,” in the political sense, to Pope Francis; he is the validly elected pope and, as long as he does not lead the Church astray, must be respected and obeyed. However, in a tradition stretching back to Saint Paul and later to Saint Catherine of Siena, and to countless others, it is not disloyal to fraternally correct or question certain actions or statements of the pope. To paraphrase Chesterton, it is the difference between being a courtier and a patriot. A “patriot,” Chesterton said, “meant a discontented man. It was opposed to the word ‘courtier,’ which meant an upholder of present conditions.”

In today’s Vatican, the courtiers have the upper hand. It is as a patriot, a man discontented with yet loving his Church, that Burke in his new position will enjoy a freedom that until now he did not have. He will be able to travel and to celebrate the ancient Mass all over the world. He can lecture, preach, and write. And the Knights of Malta are not, as left-leaning devotees of liberation theology might believe, relics from a Dan Brown novel. Not only are their ranks filled with members of the aristocracy from every nation on earth but, far more significantly, the newer members are often wealthy and influential figures in industry, politics, and the media. The Knights — and Dames — of Malta run hospitals and charitable organizations throughout the world. Their annual pilgrimage with the sick and handicapped to Lourdes is one of the largest the shrine sees. The men and women admitted to the Sovereign Order of Malta, a state that issues passports, are devout Catholics, who both love their faith and act with generosity and commitment. It is this highly influential arm of the Church that Cardinal Burke has been “demoted” to lead.

What does this apparently inter-ecclesiastical dispute matter to the wider world? In the first place, it shows how the only large global institution that represents what might be called the traditional view of the family and society is divided, and that division is clearly bad for those who care about the future of the family and civil society. On a more positive note: This could mark the last rally of a certain Sixties mentality in rapid decline. Unless they are weathervanes tilting with the wind of ambition, the priests and bishops ordained since Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict have nothing in common with the bell-bottomed theology that, at least for a season, has been revived in Rome.

There is one possible final irony. Some have speculated that Pope Francis, who turns 78 next month, will follow the example of his predecessor and eventually step down from the Petrine office, perhaps at age 80. In any case, Raymond Burke will likely be a significant figure at the conclave to elect his successor, and already some observers are predicting that the courtiers’ foe will end up as the next king.

— Father Benedict Kiely is pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Stowe, Vt., and director of continuing education for clergy in the Diocese of Burlington.

Despite the image of Francis as a man of dialogue and compromise, he is regarded in Rome as the most authoritarian pope in decades. He is also a man known to settle scores. Immediately after his election as pope, he swiftly moved an Argentinian bishop known to have been his chief opponent when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires — another “downward” promotion — transferring him to an obscure position in the Vatican bureaucracy. In the space of just over two years, Pope Bergoglio has been removing, or not reappointing, many of the key men put in place by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
Yet Burke stayed on as the “pope’s judge,” not least because he was seen by many as the most able man for the job. Meanwhile, Vatican watchers noted that he was the most senior figure to keep his position but not be confirmed in it by Pope Francis. Even Cardinal Burke’s enemies — and he has many, and they are all ideological — admit that he is exceptional in that he has never evinced ambition for higher office. But Francis brooks no opposition, so Burke had to go.

His crimes? Burke upholds traditional Biblical teaching on marriage and encourages devotion to the traditional Latin Mass. He is regularly seen in different countries celebrating a liturgy that Francis regards as a relic of the past, although the churches where these Masses are celebrated are usually filled with large young families, and they produce a wealth of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. (Buenos Aires was known to have hardly any vocations in the seminary during the time that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop.) But perhaps Cardinal Burke’s most glaring offense was that he declared that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be refused Communion.

Interesting analysis, not so much about Burke, but about Francis.

There has never been a single reason given by the Vatican for Cardinal Burke's demotion.

The media say it is because Burke is anti-gay. Throughout his life Cardinal Burke has shown kindness and support to homosexuals.

They say it is because he is a critic of Pope Francis. I am not aware of Cardinal Burke attacking Pope Francis. He has spoken out courageously in support of the Catholic faith. One article said Cardinal Burke angered Pope Francis by dressing up like a Christmas tree at Latin masses. This is dishonest and bigoted.

There is one thing that all of Cardinal Burke's critics and detractors have in common. They hate faithful Catholics and they hate those who raise their families in the Catholic faith.

Francis is a typical liberal. They’re vindictive, petty and love to settle (real or imagined) scores. One point the author made that I have noticed myself is that Bergoglio’s court is like the Vatican II geezers’ club.

Many of the people around him are actually already retired (over 80) and are people who finally think they have a shot at getting the power they felt was denied them under the two recent popes. We’ll leave aside the fact that they should actually have been removed by the two preceding popes, one of whom actually appointed many of them, after they had destroyed their own archdioceses, left them with no vocations and hardly any practicing Catholics.

That doesn’t seem to matter to Pope Francis because their ideological purity is beyond dispute. So he’s kicking out younger people and moving the oldsters back into power, even if they can’t officially hold it because they’re too old - in that case, he lets them pick the worst of a slightly younger crop to replace them (as bishops or whatever).

I go to Spain a lot and Spaniards are much more cynical about this, because people in Catholic countries (basically, Italy, Spain and France) have been watching Popes for millennia and are not the quasi-ultramontanists that a lot of Americans and other English speaking people are.

As for the Germans, they were Christianized late, and it’s always been a little touch and go with them, because they felt that they should have the power. This seems to be a German affliction.

Kasper is having his moment of glory, and one of the things he wants is for the German bishops (with no parishioners but lots of mandatory financial support) to basically be able to ignore Rome and do whatever they want. And I think they’ve finally found the foolish Pope who will let them do so, because they’re leftists and so is he.

“Despite the image of Francis as a man of dialogue and compromise, he is regarded in Rome as the most authoritarian pope in decades. He is also a man known to settle scores.”

It never fails, the Leftists are always the least tolerant and authoritarian because their positions are illogical and immoral.

He does fit the picture of an End Times Pope.

“There is one thing that all of Cardinal Burke’s critics and detractors have in common. They hate faithful Catholics and they hate those who raise their families in the Catholic faith”.

And that includes Francis, who could care less about Catholic doctrine, and has told many protestants there is no need to convert. He also could care less if pro-aborts and those shacking up receive Holy Communion. In Argentina communion for those openly spitting in the face of the church was a common occurrence.

Thanks fort this, SeekAndFind.

This is approximately what I've been thinking from the point of view of Burke's career. He spent six years as chief justice at the Signatura, writing scholarly judgments on Canon Law with 135 footnotes apiece, which bishops didn't feel the least obliged to honor or obey. The entire U.S. hierarchy, bar none, is in open violation of his ruling on Canon 915 --- God only knows how deep in disobedience they are on his other rulings. There's not much point in wasting his prime years and energies toiling over canonical judgments that prelates will use as doorstops.

On the other hand, as Cardinal-Protector of the Knights of Malta, he is master of his daily agenda: his time is his own. He's unfettered from his desk like a galley-slave whose chains have been struck off. The Knights are influential movers 'n' shakers AND DONORS, and they can jet Burke all over the world to celebrate TLM Masses, to speak at a symposium in Poland, to keynote a conferences in Africa, to publish at Navarre, to rally the faithful in Peoria, to go wherever the Spirit listeth, and to emerge at peripheries as the voice of the Fear of the Lord.

Yes, prophets are at the peripheries (to use Pope Francis' favorite word) and not at Roman dicastery desks. Wittingly or unwittingly, Francis has set up Burke in the catbird's seat.

I personally think it might be "wittingly," --- but that depends on how long of a "long game" this pope is playing--- whether he's playing checkers or chess. The Holy Spirit unquestionably owns the long game.

Mark 10:42-45 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I can't see that what Jesus intended for His church and the leadership in it was meant to be what we have been seeing here with the pope and the Catholic church.

Great find! Thanks for posting it. It's very helpful!

But perhaps Cardinal Burke’s most glaring offense was that he declared that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be refused Communion.

That quote, along with Fr. Kiely's general take on the new Pope's character/personality/ideology, helps my understanding of the Church and this odd and growing mid-1930s sense of something nasty written in ink up ahead on the calendar.

With the rise of the Chinese and with Putin putting the band back together, along with all that's being and been done here to undermine and weaken US: the loss of high level officers in all branches, the complete and total infiltration of our infrastructure, education, government, etc., our culturally reprogrammed "John/Jane Does" with their/our near total dependence upon technology and other people's skills and labor, and now obamacare, obamadebt and the fall of the dollar as world currency, then adding the rise of Francis in the Church to the mix has me wanting something stronger than this cup of coffee. I'm plenty awake now.

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