Pope strips anti-gay US cardinal of his Vatican apartment and salary

The Pope has reportedly taken action against a notoriously anti-LGTBQ+ US cardinal.

According to AP, Pope Francis has revoked the right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and retirement salary for Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, 75. The Pope reportedly told a meeting of heads of the Vatican that Burke spread “disunity” in the church.

Burke, who spends much of his time in his home state of Wisconsin, has long been a critic of Pope Francis. In particular, he has thrown shade at the Pope making overtures toward the LGBTQ+ community.

Burke used to occupy a senior position at the Vatican as its high court justice. However, he was fired from this position in 2014 by Pope Francis. Many saw the move as a response to Burke’s criticism.

Burke has previously signed letters questioning the pope’s stance, including suggestions that same-sex civil unions receive blessings. Then, last month, when the Pope held a big meeting of bishops in Rome, Burke presided over a “counter-synod” at a location near St Peter’s Square. He again criticized Pope Francis for his plans to reform 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 said. “The sheep depend on the courage of pastors who must protect them from the poison of confusion, error and division.”

Burke speaks out about exposing children to “evil” gay couples

That’s somewhat fancy language for Burke, who has previously been blunter in his denunciation of gay relationships.

In 2014, while Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, Burke was asked by Life Site News whether parents should allow a gay son to bring his male partner to a family gathering where grandchildren were present.

Burke said same-sex relationships are “intrinsically disordered”, and therefore, children should not be exposed to them.

“If it were another kind of relationship – something that was profoundly disordered and harmful – we wouldn’t expose our children to that relationship, to the direct experience of it,” he argued.

“And neither should we do it in the context of a family member who not only suffers from same-sex attraction, but who has chosen to live out that attraction, to act upon it, committing acts which are always and everywhere wrong, evil.”

According to a representative for Burke, the cardinal was unaware of losing his Vatican apartment or salary. He has not issued any comment.

A spokesperson for the Pope also refused to comment, telling AP, “I don’t have anything particular to say about that.”

Burke is the second, high-ranking US figure in the Catholic church to face rebuke within the last month. Earlier in November, Pope Francis removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, from his position. Like Burke, Strickland was a vocal critic of the Pope’s efforts to drag the church into the 21st century.

Pope enjoys pasta lunch with trans women

On Sunday, November 19th, Pope Francis held a pasta lunch for 1,200 people at the Vatican in honor of World Day of the Poor. It included several trans women, some of whom were migrants and sex workers. It comes after the Vatican ruled trans people can now be baptized and become godparents.

“We transgenders in Italy feel a bit more human because the fact that Pope Francis brings us closer to the Church is a beautiful thing,” Carla Segovia, a 46-year-old sex worker from Argentina who attended the lunch, told Reuters. “Because we need some love.”

We’re guessing Cardinal Burke was probably not in attendance.

Related:

Anti-gay Catholic Cardinal and vaccine skeptic hospitalized with Covid

Wisconsin-born Cardinal Raymond Burke previously said people should not invite gay relatives to family gatherings with children present.

Pope meets with parents of LGBTQ kids and tells them to love their children as they are

The parents also gave Pope Francis a rainbow T-shirt to wear.