Current:Home > Contact-usPope punishes leading critic Cardinal Burke in second action against conservative American prelates-InfoLens
Pope punishes leading critic Cardinal Burke in second action against conservative American prelates
View Date:2024-12-23 11:22:19
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has punished one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by yanking his right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary in the second such radical action against a conservative American prelate this month, according to two people briefed on the measures.
Francis told a meeting of the heads of Vatican offices last week that he was moving against Burke because he was a source of “disunity” in the church, said one of the participants at the Nov. 20 meeting. The participant spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal the contents of the encounter.
Francis said he was removing Burke’s privileges of having a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary as a retired cardinal because he was using the privileges against the church, said another person who was subsequently briefed on the pope’s measures. That person also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal the details.
Burke, a 75-year-old canon lawyer whom Francis had fired as the Vatican’s high court justice in 2014, has become one of the most outspoken critics of the pope, his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and his reform project to make the church more responsive to the needs of ordinary faithful.
Twice, Burke has joined other conservative cardinals in issuing formal questions to the pontiff, known as “dubia,” asking him to clarify questions of doctrine that upset conservatives and traditionalists. The cardinals then leaked the questions to the press after Francis didn’t immediately reply.
And on the eve of Francis’ big meeting of bishops last month, known as a synod, Burke presided over a counter-synod of sorts just steps away from St. Peter’s Square. There, Burke delivered a stinging rebuke of Francis’ vision of “synodality” as well as his overall reform project for the church.
“It’s unfortunately very clear that the invocation of the Holy Spirit by some has the aim of bringing forward an agenda that is more political and human than ecclesial and divine,” Burke told the conference entitled “The Synodal Babel.”
Calls and emails to Burke and his secretary were not immediately returned. The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, referred questions to Burke.
“I don’t have anything particular to say about that,” Bruni told reporters.
Burke is the second American head to fall in what appears to be a new reform-minded phase of Francis’ pontificate, which appears to have accelerated in particular with the arrival in September of his hand-picked new doctrine czar, Argentine Cardinal Victor Fernandez.
Earlier this month, Francis forcibly removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, another conservative who had also become one of Francis’ critics. Strickland was removed after a Vatican investigation into governance of his diocese.
In a tweet Tuesday, Strickland expressed shock at reports that Francis had taken action taken against his fellow American, which was first reported by the conservative Italian newspaper La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, the main sponsor of “The Synodal Babel” conference.
“If this is accurate it is an atrocity that must be opposed. If it is false information it needs to be corrected immediately,” Strickland wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Pope Benedict XVI had made Burke a cardinal in 2010, after he appointed him prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s high court. After Francis removed him from that position in 2014, he made Burke the cardinal patron of the Knights of Malta, a prestigious but limited role.
But there too, Burke and Francis clashed over Burke’s involvement in a governance crisis at the chivalric order.
Francis pushed him aside and named two subsequent envoys to essentially replace him.
veryGood! (515)
Related
- Ben Foster Files for Divorce From Laura Prepon After 6 Years of Marriage
- Woman who checked into hospital and vanished was actually in the morgue, family learns
- TikTok’s “Dancing Engineer” Dead at 34 After Contracting Dengue Fever
- The Latest: The real test for Harris’ campaign begins in the presidential race against Trump
- Rachael Ray Details Getting Bashed Over Decision to Not Have Kids
- Former Tennessee officer accused in Tyre Nichols’ death to change plea ahead of trial
- US closes one of 2 probes into behavior of General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicles after recall
- USDA efforts to solve the bird flu outbreak in cows are taking center stage in central Iowa
- Human head washes ashore on Florida beach, police investigating: reports
- Selena Gomez Hits Red Carpet With No Ring Amid Benny Blanco Engagement Rumors
Ranking
- Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
- Teen sues Detroit judge who detained her after falling asleep during courtroom field trip
- Ohio woman accused of killing a cat, eating it in front of people
- Emily Ratajkowski Has the Best Reaction After Stranger Tells Her to “Put on a Shirt” Mid-Video
- SNL's Chloe Fineman Says Rude Elon Musk Made Her Burst Into Tears as Show Host
- His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat. He needed to share his story.
- Donald Trump addresses AI Taylor Swift campaign photos: 'I don't know anything about them'
- Flick-fil-a? Internet gives side eye to report that Chick-fil-A to start streaming platform
Recommendation
-
Driver dies after crashing on hurricane-damaged highway in North Carolina
-
BMW recalls over 720,000 vehicles due to water pump malfunction that may cause a fire
-
USA flag football QB says he's better at the sport than Patrick Mahomes 'because of my IQ'
-
Isabella Strahan Reacts to Comment About Hair Growth Amid Cancer Journey
-
Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
-
John Cena Shares NSFW Confession About Embarrassing Sex Scenes
-
Disney x Kate Spade’s Snow White Collection Is the Fairest of Them All & Everything Is an Extra 40% Off
-
Jessica Alba Shares Heartwarming Insight Into Family Life With Her and Cash Warren’s 3 Kids