‘DISUNITY’

Pope Francis Punishes Cardinal Raymond Burke, One of His Most Outspoken Critics

Cardinal Raymond Burke is considered by many in the Catholic church to be the head of Francis’ conservative opposition.

Pope Francis has taken away a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary from Cardinal Raymond Burke, a prominent critic who has frequently criticized the reform-minded pope’s policies, two sources told the Associated Press. Francis reportedly met with church leaders last week to inform them of his decision, explaining that Burke fostered “disunity” in the church and was using his privileges to undermine the institution. Burke had not been alerted to his disciplining on Tuesday morning, according to his secretary. AP reported that Burke, who is considered by many to be the head of Francis’ conservative opposition, argued against an October assembly to talk about making the Catholic Church more inclusive toward LGBTQ+ followers and granting women and non-priests more opportunities. In 2014, Francis fired Burke from the Congregation of Bishops, which the cardinal said was due to his decision to talk “too much about abortion” and about “marriage as between one man and one woman.”