AMDG
Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs star kicker, who kicked the tying field goal in the Super Bowl that sent the game into overtime, was hammered in the secular press and social media by the feminists and other liberals for his speech on traditional values and the Latin Mass in his commencement address to the students, faculty, and staff of the Catholic Benedictine College. It raised firestorm for and against. It hit the secular television networks in a negative way for the next several days. The National Football League disowned it. EWTN, the Catholic television network defended it.
A former ESPN sports commentator even used foul language on Fox News in criticizing him. At the same time she belittled motherhood and raising kids as something mundane, demeaning, and below her dignity. For many the term "homemaker" is a pejorative term even though the family and its home are the foundation of society.
They're clamoring for the Kansas City Chiefs to fire Harrison Butker. Of course that won’t happen. He’s their star kicker. Furthermore, Tavia
Hunt, wife of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, publicly defended his comments on
motherhood via Instagram. "Validating motherhood and commending your wife,
alongside acknowledging the sacrifices and dedication required for motherhood,
does not constitute bigotry," she stated.
Interesting is the reaction of current and former students of Benedictine College. Elizabeth Abramo opined that he recognized the uniqueness of femininity: "As a graduating student who is about to get married and become a mother has been diminished by my professors, neighbors, and even some family members, who say I should wait or 'live my life before I'm tied down'. Harrison affirmed this desire that the Lord placed on my heart. He commended our academic achievements, congratulating our success. However, he said we don't need to feel stuck under the pressure to work the same lifelong careers as men. Our gifts are different; they are unique to our feminine genius, and the vocation of a wife and mother is so intentionally catered to those God-given gifts."
Thomas Doyle, another Benedictine College graduate, added: "So often, people tell us that believing is enough or going to Mass is enough. Harrison's speech was an excellent reminder that there is more to Catholicism than going to Mass or praying once a week.
Genevieve Henry, another grad, said that "He reminded us that the world is confused and what it preaches only leads to unfulfillment....we, the students, have been learning and growing in our femininity and masculinity, so when we leave, we can change the culture in our own unique, God-given way" (From the June 2 issue of Our Sunday Visitor).
What’s all the commotion about? Below is the link to his 20 minute speech on youtube.com. The written text is in the Appendix. Judge for yourself. What do you think?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JS7RIKSaCc
What about freedom of speech? It was his opinion that he wanted to share
with an audience of primarily Catholic students at a very traditional Christ
centered college very faithful to its original mission. Only a few such Catholic colleges are left as
Franciscan University of Steubenville, Christendom College, Thomas Aquinas
College, University of Dallas, Walsh University in Canton, and Ave Maria University. He praised and thanked his wife for being a
full time mother. Is there anything
wrong with that?
Yes, Butker encouraged the women to be full time mothers after marriage as the ideal for a family. The women were not indoctrinated. They had the freedom to accept or reject Butker’s views, which are very common among traditional Catholics. After all, motherhood is the most important job in the world. The children they raise are the next generation who will build and lead our country and the Church. Each child is created according to the image and likeness of God for eternity. A loving, nurturing mother generally can do a much better job than a hired nanny or workers at a day care center. Many agree, including some of the experts, that a full-time mother is better for the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and moral development of the child. One psychiatrist remarked that being a latch key kid is the worst scenario.
Individualism and careerism at the expense of the family is against Church teaching.
A full-time mother can do much more than a working mother for
the family. Establishing the home as a domestic church becomes easier. She can home school, belong
to a parish Mom’s group with baby-sitting, teach the Faith, etc. It was beautiful to see mothers with their young children at daily Mass, one mother doing the stations of the cross during Lent with her brood after Mass in Front Royal, Virginia. She can get together with other mothers for tea and playtime for the kids.
Having a full-time mother is the ideal if the father alone can support the family. Even then the mother needs the help of her husband. For example, taking care of a toddler and a baby the entire day can be exhausting.
For most of American history, full time mothers were the norm in the United States. It was part of our culture, but that has changed. In 2021 the labor participation rate of working moms was 71.7% of those eligible to work while it was 92.5% for working dads. Our four children were privileged to have a full-time mother for most of their childhood and their families have or expect to have a full- time mother. But today this is often not possible especially in the case of a single mother or if the father’s income is insufficient to support a family.
The tremendous contributions of women in almost every
professional field cannot be overlooked and women must be given the same opportunities as men. The female students have many choices in utilizing their great talents
and pursuing a very successful career while raising a family. She can resume her career after raising her
children. Sandra Day O’Connor took seven
years off from her lucrative law practice to raise her children until they
reached school age. Later she became a
Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
The mother can work part-time or on weekends. She can work from home or help with a family
business. Grandma could help out. House husbands are not rare when the mother
can make a greater income. Husband and
wife often can stagger their work schedules so that both can work and take care
of the children.
Many women have received educations in the best colleges, but chose to become full time mothers, utilizing their knowledge to home school their children, foment a more intellectual environment, and be more articulate on many subjects in social circles. When their children are out of the house, they may choose to return to the national work force or do volunteer work in their church or community.
Mom may choose to pursue a career full time and deposit her children at a day care center. However, it has happened in a few cases that much of the money that the working mother made was spent on a shrink (there generally are multiple factors in those cases). In any event Harrison Butker did not deny any woman’s right to choose her future path.
The bottom line…..what's necessary and best for the family which always comes first. At the same time it is the woman’s choice after consulting her husband on
how she wants to manage her career and no one has the right to impose his/her
views upon her. After so many NFL
players have been arrested for domestic
violence (about 27 per year), it is refreshing that a NFL star spoke out for
traditional values. After all, many of
our youth look upon them as role models for good or bad.
Butker also promoted the
Latin Mass, a point of disagreement among some clergy and lay Catholics. Really it’s a matter of individual preference. Some Catholics young and old prefer the Latin
Mass due to their love of historical tradition and for their belief that it
better conveys the awesome mystery of the liturgy and a greater sense of the
sacred. I have attended the Latin Mass many
times and was impressed by the greater attention of the congregation, greater
respect by children and adults alike, its solemnity, and people wearing their
Sunday best instead of their Sunday worst.
St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict had no problem with the Latin Mass, but Pope Francis does not approve of it. However, he apparently has permitted Bishops to make a few exceptions. The charism of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is the Latin Mass and is often permitted by local bishops to operate Latin Mass parishes with a pre-Vaticn II liturgy as in Dallas and Phoenix. Mater Dei in Irving, Texas is the largest in the country.
In the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, the priests
of the very large and very vibrant St. John the Baptist parish in Front Royal
are permitted to have a Sunday Mass in Latin, but not on parish property. Thus they have a standing room only Sunday
Mass in the chapel of a nearby traditional Catholic academy. The Archdiocese of Chicago does not permit it
at all. This will pass as the most
educated Jesuit Order was restored after being suppressed by the Vatican under pressure
from the European monarchy from 1773-1814 for political reasons. Through it all, regardless of our personal opinions, we owe obedience to the Pope and our local bishop.
Except for the Latin vernacular, the differences are minor with
the prevalent Mass in English (Novo Ordo).
The people use prayer books in Latin with the English translation. Latin Mass parishes are very traditional…….the
priest faces the altar (Ad Orientum) with his back towards the people to
signify that the priest is offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the
congregation. The people receive communion
on the tongue at the restored communion
rail.
Those in favor of suppressing the Latin Mass claim that members
of Latin Mass parishes are elitist and divisive. That simply is not true. We have many rites in the Catholic Church
because the apostles adapted the Church to the culture and language of each
country without compromising doctrinal unity. Today the Eastern Rites of the
Church have not caused significant problems.
Again it’s much ado about nothing.
May we respect in charity the preferences of each other without
compromising doctrine.
APPENDIX
Forbes Magazine Staff
James Farrell is a breaking news
reporter on the Forbes news team.
Follow
14
May 15, 2024,10:44am EDT
Updated May 18, 2024,
12:46pm EDT
TOPLINE
Kansas City Chiefs
kicker Harrison Butker is facing backlash over his commencement speech to the
Class of 2024 at the Benedictine College, a Catholic school in Kansas, where he
criticized President Joe Biden, suggested women focus on being mothers and wives
instead of pursuing careers and took a swipe at Pride Month. (Update: Benedictine’s
nuns are joining the criticism.)
FILE - Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker speaks to the
media during NFL football Super Bowl ... [+]
COPYRIGHT
2024 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
KEY
FACTS
Butker bemoaned an
erosion of traditional Catholic values in daily life, claiming that things like
“abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia as well as a growing support for
degenerate cultural values and media” come from “the pervasiveness of
disorder.”
He criticized Biden
for proclaiming his Catholic faith while being “delusional enough to make the
sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally,” accusing the president of
making it appear “that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.”
Butker told the
women in the class that they’d been told “diabolical lies” about pursuing careers,
and that his and his family’s success is a result of his wife’s focus on being
a wife and mother, claiming that “her life truly started when she began living
her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”
He accused world
leaders of “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America,” and
praised the students at Benedictine for embracing their religion with pride,
but “not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to
it.”
He also criticized
the Catholic church and bishops and priests for “misleading their flocks” by
prioritizing familiarity with their parishioners instead of being teachers,
quoting Taylor Swift—girlfriend of teammate Travis Kelce—by saying “familiarity
breeds contempt.”
The speech was
largely criticized on social media and prompted
a change.org petition calling for him to be
released from the Chiefs.
HERE’S
THE FULL SPEECH
Ladies and
gentlemen of the class of 2024, I would like to start off by congratulating all
of you for successfully making it to this achievement today. I'm sure your high
school graduation was not what you had imagined and most likely neither was
your first couple years of college.
By making it to
this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you
learned the important lessons that suffering in this life is only temporary. As
a group you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane
can have a negative impact on society. It is through this lens that I want to
take stock of how we got to where we are and where we want to go as citizens,
and yes, as Catholics.
One last thing
before I begin I want to be sure to thank president Minns and the board for
their invitation to speak. When President Minnis first reached out a couple of
months ago I had originally said no. You see, last year I gave the commencement
address at my Alma moer Georgia Tech and I felt that one graduation speech was
more than enough, especially for someone who isn't a professional speaker. But
of course president Minnis used his gift of persuasion and spoke to the many
challenges you all faced throughout the COVID fiasco and how you missed out on
so many milestones the rest of us older people have taken for granted.
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 and media all stem from the pervasiveness of
disorder. 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. He
is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing
dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring
thing in common: They are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being
Catholic alone doesn't cut it.
These are the sorts
of things we are told in polite society to not bring up. You know, the
difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for
this time in history we need to stop pretending that the “Church of nice” is a
winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity but never mistake
charity for cowardice. It is safe to say that over the past few years I've
gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind. I never envisioned myself nor
wanted to have this sort of a platform but God has given it to me so I have no
other choice but to embrace it and preach more hard truths about accepting your
lane and staying in it.
As members of the
church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be
authentically and unapologetically Catholic. Don't be mistaken: even within the
church, people in polite Catholic circles will try to persuade you to remain
silent. There even was an award-winning film called “Silence” made by a fellow
Catholic wherein one of the main characters, a Jesuit priest, abandoned the
church, and as an apostate, when he died is seen grasping a crucifix quiet and
unknown to anyone but God. As a friend of Benedictine College, his Excellency
Bishop Robert Barron said in his review of the film it was exactly what the
cultural elite want to see in Christianity: Private, hidden away and harmless.
Our Catholic faith
has always been countercultural. Our Lord along with countless followers were
all put to death for their adherence to her teachings. The world around us says
that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the
tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion. We fear speaking truth because now
unfortunately truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill where
stating something as basic as the Biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could
land you in jail.
But make no
mistake, before we even attempt to fix any of the issues plaguing society we
must first get our own house in order, and it starts with our leaders. The
bishops and priests appointed by God as our spiritual fathers must be rightly
ordered. There is not enough time today for me to list all the stories of
priests and bishops misleading their flocks, but none of us can blame ignorance
anymore and just blindly proclaim that that's what father said. Because sadly
many priests we are looking to for leadership are the same ones who prioritize
their hobbies or even photos with their dogs in matching outfits for the parish
directory. It’s easy for us lay men and women to think that in order for us to
be holy, that we must be active in our parish and try to fix it. Yes, we
absolutely should be involved in supporting our parishes, but we cannot be the
source for our parish priests to lean on to help with their problems just as we
look at the relationship between a father and his son, so too should we look at
the relationship between a priest and his people. It would not be appropriate
for me to always be looking to my son for help when it is my job as his father
to lead him.
St. Jose Maria
Escriva states that priests are ordained to serve and should not yield to
temptation to imitate lay people but to be priests, through and through.
Tragically, so many priests revolve much of their happiness from the adulation
they receive from their parishioners, and in searching for this, they let their
guard down and become overly familiar. This undue familiarity will prove to be
problematic every time, because as my teammate’s girlfriend says “familiarity
breeds contempt.” St Josemaria continues that some want to see the priest as
just another man. That is not so they want to find in the priests those virtues
proper to every Christian and indeed every honorable man: understanding,
justice, a life of work, priestly work in this instance, and good manners. It
is not prudent as the laity for us to consume ourselves in becoming amateur
theologians so that we can decipher this or that theological teaching unless of
course you are a theology major. 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.
Still we have so
many great resources at our fingertips that it doesn't take long to find
traditional and timeless teachings that haven't been ambiguously rewarded for
our times. Plus, there are still many good and holy priests and it's up to us
to seek them out. The chaos of the world is unfortunately reflected in the
chaos in our parishes and sadly in our cathedrals, too. As we saw during the
pandemic, too many Bishops were not leaders at all. They were motivated by
fear: fear of being sued, fear of being removed, fear of being disliked. They
showed by their actions, intentional or unintentional, that the sacraments
don't actually matter. Because of this countless people died alone, without
access to the sacraments, and it's a tragedy we must never forget.
As Catholics, we
can look to so many examples of heroic shepherds who gave their lives for their
people, and ultimately, the church. We cannot buy into the lie that the things
we experienced during COVID were appropriate. Over the centuries there have
been great wars, great famines, and yes, even great diseases, all that came
with a level of lethality and danger. But in each of those examples, church
leaders leaned into their vocations, and ensured that their people received the
sacraments. Great saints like St. Damien of Molokai, who knew the dangers of
his ministry, stayed for 11 years as a spiritual leader to the leper colonies
of Hawaii. His heroism is looked at today as something set apart and unique,
when ideally, it should not be unique at all. For as a father loves his child,
so a shepherd should love his spiritual children, too.
That goes even more
so for our bishops. These men who are present day apostles, our bishops once
had adoring crowds of people kissing their rings and taking in their every
word, but now relegate themselves to a position of inconsequential existence.
Now, when a bishop of a diocese or the Bishops Conference as a whole puts out
an important document on this matter, nobody even takes a moment to read it,
let alone follow it. No. Today, our shepherds are far more concerned with
keeping the doors open to the Chancery than they are saying that difficult
stuff out loud. It seems that the only time you hear from your bishops is when
it’s time for the annual appeal. Whereas we need our bishops to be vocal about
the teachings of the Church, setting aside their own personal comfort and
embracing their cross. Our bishops are not politicians, but shepherds. So
instead of fitting in the world by going along to get along, they too need to
stay in their lane and lead.
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 our leaders. Because there seems to be
so much confusion coming from our leaders. There needs to be concrete examples
for people to look to, and places like Benedictine, a little Kansas college
built high on a bluff above the Missouri River, are showing the world how an
ordered Christ-centered existence is the recipe for success. You need to look
no further than the examples all around this campus, where over the past 20
years enrollment has doubled, and construction and revitalization are a
constant part of life and people, the students, the faculty and staff are
thriving. This didn’t happen by chance. In a deliberate movement to embrace
traditional Catholic values, Benedictine has gone from just another liberal
arts school with nothing to set it apart to a thriving beacon of light and a reminder
to us all that when you embrace tradition, success, worldly and spiritual will
follow. I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their
attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at
Benedictine wouldn’t be met with anger, but instead with excitement and pride.
Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it. But
the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify
Him.
Reading that
article now shared all over the world, we see that in the complete surrender of
self and a turning towards Christ, you will find happiness. Right here in a
little town in Kansas, we find many inspiring lay people using their talents.
President Minnis, Dr. Swofford and Dr. Zimmer are a few great examples right
here on this very campus that will keep the light of Christ burning bright for
generations to come. Being locked in with your vocation and staying in your
lane is going to be the surest way for you to find true happiness and peace in
this life. It is essential that we focus on our own state in life, whether that
be as a layperson or priests, or religious.
Ladies and
gentlemen of the class of 2024, you are sitting at the edge of the rest of your
lives. Each of you has the potential to leave a legacy that transcends
yourselves and this era of human existence. In the small ways by living out
your vocation, you will ensure that God’s Church continues and the world is
enlightened by your example. 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 the stage, and are
thinking about all the promotions and titles you’re 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.
I’m on this stage
today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her
vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me. But it
cannot be overstated, that all of my success is made possible because a girl I
met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my
wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker. She’s a
primary educator to our children. She’s the one who ensures I never let
football or my business become a distraction from that of a husband and father.
She is the person that knows me best at my core. And it is through our marriage
that Lord willing, we will both attain salvation. I say all of this to you
because I’ve seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they
disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God’s will in their
life. Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true. But if you
ask her today, if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud
without hesitation and say, “heck no.”
As a man who gets a
lot of praise and has been given a platform to speak to audiences like this one
today, I pray that I always use my voice for God and not for myself. Everything
I am saying to you is not from a place of wisdom, but rather a place of
experience. I am hopeful that these words will be seen as those from a man not
much older than you who feels it is imperative that this class, this
generation, and this time in our society must stop pretending that the things
we see around us are normal. Heterodox ideas abound, even within Catholic
circles. Let’s be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having
children, whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No
matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control.
It is only in the past few years that I have grown encouraged to speak more
boldly and directly, because as I mentioned earlier, I have leaned into my
vocation as a husband and father and as a man.
To the gentleman
here today, part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to
you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. 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 US. And a correlation can be
made in their drastically lower violence rates as well. Be unapologetic in your
masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things.
Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don’t
necessarily enjoy. But if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that
over something that you might think suits you better. I speak from experience
as an introvert who now finds myself as an amateur public speaker, and an
entrepreneur, something I never thought I’d be when I received my industrial engineering
degree.
The road ahead is
bright, things are changing, society is shifting, and people young and old are
embracing tradition. Not only has it been my vocation that has helped me and
those closest to me, but not surprising to many of you should be my outspoken
embrace of the traditional Latin Mass. 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’m better than others, or for the smells and bells, or
even for the love of Latin. I attend TLM because I believe just as the God of
the Old Testament was pretty particular and how he wanted to be worshiped, 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. Aside from the TLM itself, too many of
our sacred traditions have been relegated to things of the past. When in my
parish, things such as Ember Days — days when we fast and pray for vocations
and for our priests — are still adhered to. The TLM is so essential that I
would challenge each of you to pick a place to move where it is readily
available. A lot of people have complaints about the parish or the community,
but we should not sacrifice the mass for community. I prioritize the TLM even
if the parish isn’t beautiful, the priest isn’t great, or the community isn’t
amazing. I still go to the TLM because I believe the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
is more important than anything else. I say this knowing full well that when
each of you rekindle your knowledge and adherence to many of the church’s
greatest traditions, you will see how much more colorful and alive your life
can and should be. As you move on from this place and enter into the world,
know that you will face many challenges.
Sadly, I’m sure
many of you know of the countless stories of good and active members of this
community who after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine Bubble have
ended up moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some
even leave the church and abandon God. It is always heartbreaking to hear these
stories, and there’s a desire to know what happened and what went wrong. What
you must remember is that life is about doing the small things well. So setting
yourself up for success and surrounding yourself with people who continually push
you to be the best version of you. I say this all the time, that iron sharpens
iron. It’s a great reminder that those closest to us should be making us
better. If you’re dating someone who doesn’t even share your faith, how do you
expect that person to help you become a saint? If your friend group is filled
with people who only think about what you’re doing next weekend, and are not
willing to have those difficult conversations, how can they help sharpen you?
As you prepare to enter into the workforce, it is extremely important that you
actually think about the places you are moving to. Who is the bishop? What kind
of parishes are there? Do they offer the TLM and have priests who embrace their
priestly vocation? Cost of living must not be the only arbiter of your choices.
For a life without God is not a life at all. And the cost of salvation is worth
more than any career.
