Pope Francis plans to remove American critic, Cardinal Raymond Burke, from the Vatican

Pope Francis is evicting US Cardinal Raymond Burke, an outspoken critic, from his Vatican apartment and revoking his salary. This move comes as Cardinal Burke is part of a group of American conservatives who have opposed the Pope's plans for reforming the Catholic Church. However, the Vatican clarifies that this decision is not a personal punishment but rather stems from the belief that a person should not enjoy cardinal privileges while criticizing the head of the church. This action by Pope Francis is significant because retired cardinals typically continue to reside in Rome and remain active in papal liturgies and ceremonial duties. Evicting someone from their Vatican apartment sets a new precedent. Vatican observer Christopher White suggests that this decision could deepen divides between the Vatican and the US church, which already experiences fragmentation. Cardinal Burke has yet to respond to the news, and the Pope revealed his plan to act against him in a meeting with heads of Vatican offices last week. This action by Pope Francis seems to be a result of his frustration with US critics who hold more traditional or conservative views on various issues. Earlier this month, he also fired a conservative Texas bishop who disagreed with his attempts to move the church towards more progressive positions. Tensions between Pope Francis and Cardinal Burke have been simmering for nearly a decade, with the American prelate openly criticizing the Pope over social and liturgical matters. Cardinal Burke's alleged alienation from the Pope appears to be a factor in the decision, as the Pope perceives him as fostering a cult of personality centered around traditionalism. Notably, Cardinal Burke held a conference in Rome prior to the Pope's synod and joined fellow conservatives in publishing a declaration of truths in 2019 that criticized the direction of the Catholic Church under Pope Francis. The cardinal also disagreed with the Pope's promotion of COVID-19 vaccines. There have been previous instances where the Pope demoted Cardinal Burke within the church hierarchy. Michael Matt, a columnist for The Remnant, a right-wing Catholic newspaper, suggests that this recent action by Pope Francis demonstrates his desire to silence critics who support pro-life, pro-family, and traditional values.