What if Burke continues to criticize and speak out? I think he should.
Is the Pope going to muzzle him, threaten him with excommunication? Put him on the rack?
Grump, such talk is foolishness.
Some of Cardinal Burke's supporters are heaping on the victim rhetoric, but Burke himself has never characterized himself as either a victim or an opponent of Pope Francis.
Burke was head of the Apostolic Signatura. Nobody in that post since 1994 has served more than 6 years. He served 6 years. Everybody before him as reassigned as expected. And Burke was reassigned.
Burke himself has not complained --- not a word --- but again, his supporters, having wrapped him in the garb of gulag victim and martyr, are grousing that he was reassigned to a largely ceremonial post, as Patron of the Knights of Malta.
It may in fact be perfect for him. 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. Virtually the entire U.S. hierarchy 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-Patron 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 in Austria, 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.