Harrison Butker, a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL, gave a commencement address at Benedictine College, a conservative Catholic school.
In his speech, he urged the students not to be silent on the controversies of the day. To him, this included issues such as abortion and women embracing the title of homemaker. He then took a jab at our community, noting “the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it.”
Some of this is not surprising, since he’s a devoted Catholic, but he might have gone a little too far. Or maybe not far enough, depending on your perspective.
While he did take time to talk about the leadership of the church and its constant fundraising, stating “The only time you hear from the bishop is when it’s time for the yearly appeal,” he went on to state that it’s the local priests who are the foundation of the church, mentioning their leadership.
When a member of the church attacks our community, it’s always a good idea to remind them that they are supporting the dogma of the largest pedophile organization in the world. Literally hundreds of thousands of children have been raped or abused by those priests he holds in high esteem. Did he call that a deadly sin? No. His only condemnation was for the LGBTQ+ community existing.
What amazes me about his logic is that he takes that idea from Leviticus. He most likely hasn’t read it thoroughly, as there are several other rules in Leviticus that I’m sure he has broken. How about not eating fat, blood in rare steak, pig products, shrimp, crab, or any kind of seafood? He cherry-picks his deadly sins. I’ve called that “Bible à la carte” since my days on “The Phil Donahue Show.”
It seems I’m not alone in my opinion of his address. The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica issued a statement on Facebook:
“Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division. One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. Our community has taught young women and men not just how to be ‘homemakers’ in a limited sense, but rather how to make a Gospel-centered, compassionate home within themselves where they can welcome others as Christ, empowering them to be the best versions of themselves. We reject a narrow definition of what it means to be Catholic. We are faithful members of the Catholic Church who embrace and promote the values of the Gospel, St. Benedict, and Vatican II and the teachings of Pope Francis.”
Nothing like being slapped in the face by an order of nuns. They had it right. Graduation is a time for celebration and unity. All you brought was hate and censorship (which you accused others of) and a vision of 1950s America.