Want Proof Butker’s Comments Agree With Catholic Teaching?

Some on the Catholic Left (and in secular society) think the comments made by Kansas City Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker at Benedictine College do not represent the view of the Catholic Church. Some, think his comments are reflective of “right-wing ideology” masquerading as authentic Catholicism. Frankly, such criticisms are absurd and serve only to reflect the ideological leans of their bearers. Personally, up until now, I stayed out of the sensationalist discussions over obvious Catholic teachings. However, a recent article here on Patheos pushed me to chime in.

So, for the sake of clarity and charity, below I compare Mr. Butker’s words to actual authoritative Catholic teaching. Now, some on the left might disagree with Butker’s political comments. However, such comments do not reflect “anti-Catholicism” in any way, as Catholics retain the freedom to disagree on political matters.

For a full transcript of the speech, click here. Let’s dig in.

Covid, Abortion, IVF, Surrogacy, Euthanasia, and Degenerate Culture

While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.

No one on either side of the political divide argues that Americans experienced poor leadership and policies during (and after) Covid. Moreover, the rest of the comments almost perfectly summarize the content of the recently released Vatican document, Dignitas Infintia. For example:

Abortion:

On account of the intangible value of human life, the Church’s magisterium has always spoken out against abortion. In this regard, Pope St. John Paul II writes: “Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable.

Surrogacy:

The Church also takes a stand against the practice of surrogacy, through which the immensely worthy child becomes a mere object.

Euthanasia:

Life is a right, not death, which must be welcomed, not administered. And this ethical principle concerns everyone, not just Christians or believers.” As mentioned above, the dignity of each person, no matter how weak or burdened by suffering, implies the dignity of us all.

Cultural Disorder:

It thus becomes unacceptable that “some ideologies of this sort, which seek to respond to what are at times understandable aspirations, manage to assert themselves as absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised. It needs to be emphasized that ‘biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.’”

So, right from the start, Mr. Butker’s comments show full support of Church teaching.

Biden on Abortion

Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro- abortion rally. He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.

Again, Mr. Butker’s words ring true, as Biden’s own archbishop stated recently:

…like a number of Catholics, he picks and chooses dimensions of the faith to highlight while ignoring or even contradicting other parts. There is a phrase that we have used in the past, a ‘cafeteria Catholic,’ [in which] you choose that which is attractive and dismiss that which is challenging. I would say there are things, especially in terms of the life issues, there are things that he chooses to ignore.

Again, no conflict here between the words of Mr. Butker and the teaching of the Church.

Married Vocation

We must be intentional with our focus on our state in life and our own vocation. And for most of us, that’s as married men and women.

In Humanae Vitae (a document often questioned or rejected by some progressive Catholics), we read a very similar statement regarding the vocation of married men and women.

26. Among the fruits that ripen if the law of God be resolutely obeyed, the most precious is certainly this, that married couples themselves will often desire to communicate their own experience to others. Thus it comes about that in the fullness of the lay vocation will be included a novel and outstanding form of the apostolate by which, like ministering to like, married couples themselves by the leadership they offer will become apostles to other married couples.

For the sake of avoiding vain repetition, I’ll leave that there…

Criticism of Bishops and Priests

In his speech, Mr. Butker spoke critically of bishops who do not act as faithful shepherds and instead, more as politicians. After this lengthy criticism, he concludes:

I say all of this not from a place of anger, as we get the leaders we deserve. But this does make me reflect on staying in my lane and focusing on my own vocation and how I can be a better father and husband and live in the world but not be of it. Focusing on my vocation while praying and fasting for these men will do more for the Church than me complaining about her leaders.

Moreover, the heartfelt—and yes, harsh—criticism of Mr. Butker also reflects authentic Catholic teaching—at least according to Canon 212.

3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.

Main Source of Controversy – “for the Ladies…”

Much of the focus of contempt surrounds Mr. Butker’s comments on women and motherhood. Be warned, “trigger warning” for what follows…

For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.

Now, many progressive critics bemoan the above as an appeal to “patriarchy” and “putting women in their place.” However, what does the Church say about the words above?

In Familiaris Consortio, St. Pope John Paul II stated the following concerning marriage, family, and the role of mothers and wives.

Willed by God in the very act of creation, marriage and the family are interiorly ordained to fulfillment in Christ and have need of His graces in order to be healed from the wounds of sin and restored to their “beginning,” that is, to full understanding and the full realization of God’s plan.

And.

While it must be recognized that women have the same right as men to perform various public functions, society must be structured in such a way that wives and mothers are not in practice compelled to work outside the home, and that their families can live and prosper in a dignified way even when they themselves devote their full time to their own family.

It appears the sainted pope agrees with the Kansas City Chief kicker. Furthermore, do those who cry “patriarchy” also level this charge at the former pope? Probably. However, doing so does not make Mr. Butker less Catholic to agree with a canonized saint of the Church.

To the Men…

As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation. Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates, as well.

Again, the words of St. Pope John Paul II echoes those of Mr. Butker.

As experience teaches, the absence of a father causes psychological and moral imbalance and notable difficulties in family relationships, as does, in contrary circumstances, the oppressive presence of a father, especially where there still prevails the phenomenon of “machismo,” or a wrong superiority of male prerogatives which humiliates women and inhibits the development of healthy family relationships.

Nothing in Mr. Butker’s speech speaks of “machismo” or “wrong superiority of male prerogatives”, no matter how the media and progressives attempt to paint his comments as such.

The Love of the Traditional Latin Mass

Sadly, some uncharitable remarks were leveled against Mr. Butker’s love for the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).

I’ve been very vocal in my love and devotion to the TLM and its necessity for our lives. But what I think gets misunderstood is that people who attend the TLM do so out of pride or preference. I can speak to my own experience, but for most people I have come across within these communities this simply is not true. I do not attend the TLM because I think I am better than others, or for the smells and bells, or even for the love of Latin. I attend the TLM because I believe, just as the God of the Old Testament was pretty particular in how he wanted to be worshipped, the same holds true for us today. It is through the TLM that I encountered order, and began to pursue it in my own life.

For the record, I do not agree with Mr. Butker on the TLM. However, nothing he states contradicts Catholic teaching. Nowhere does he condemn the Novus Ordo Mass or discourage others from attending it. He does recommend the TLM to those in attendance, but this also does not contradict Church teaching, as the TLM still represents a valid liturgical form of the Mass.

Final Thoughts…

In conclusion, in the above, I directly quote the Benedictine speech of Harrison Butker and compare them to official Church documents and statements. I show that Mr. Butker in no way contradicts Church teaching, and in many cases, aligns with the language of these official documents. The “hype” over his words, while currently directed at Mr. Butker, are aimed at a far bigger target—the Church. Unfortunately for Mr. Butker, when a public figure (even a lowly kicker in the NFL) gives a speech in line with Church teaching, the attacks are not far off. That his critics mask their contempt for the Church as contempt for him (and the “patriarchy” the Church represents) reflects more on their issues than his fidelity to the Catholic Church.