Cardinal Burke: Leo XIV’s papacy is ‘characterized by Christo-centrism’
“We must pray for him and help him, each in our own role” said Cardinal Burke about Pope Leo, in a recent interview.
(PerMariam) — Praising Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Burke has said that the new Pope “is characterized by Christo-centrism.”
The election of an American Pope on May 8 took many by surprise, especially given the anecdote oft-repeated around Rome than an American could never be pope.
But Leo XIV’s early weeks have not been marked by any particular demonstration of national identity, neither American or Peruvian – where he spent many years ministering before coming to Rome.
In Cardinal Raymond Burke’s assessment, Leo has shown himself to be a Pope centered upon Christ. Speaking to Italian outlet La Stampa, Burke commented:
“The pontificate of Leo XIV is characterized by Christo-centrism; he always speaks of the Lord and his Church. It is important that the Church not be reduced to an NGO.”
In St. Matthew’s Gospel the Church reads of the great charge given by Christ to St. Peter, who is to be the first Pope: “That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” (16:18)
That a Pope is to be Christo-centric should not be surprising, yet it says much about the state of the Church today that this is an aspect which a prominent cardinal feels the need to highlight and also praise.
Whilst Burke made no mention of Pope Francis in the interview, other commentators and prelates have suggested that certain elements under the previous papacy were indeed more representative of an NGO than the Catholic Church.
Speaking to this correspondent last spring, Cardinal Gerhard Müller warned that the Synod on Synodality and the German Synodal Way both risked turning the Church into a secular activist body.
Müller stated:
This is a reduction of the Church not to be the instrument and the sign, the sacrament for the deep communion of us with God in love, and to be the instrument for the unity of the mankind in Jesus Christ: they want to change the Church to another worldly health organization like an NGO.
That is absolutely wrong, and therefore neither the Synod of Synodality nor this Synodal Path, can [be permitted to] have this agenda, this program for changing the essence of the Church in an inner-worldly helped organization.
The German prelate’s thoughts were echoed by Cardinal Joseph Zen later in 2024. “From the ‘Synods’ held under Pope Francis, we can see that he wants to change the Church’s doctrines or disciplines each time rather than discuss how to safeguard these doctrines and disciplines,” the emeritus bishop of Hong Kong wrote in November.
Like these members of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Burke himself has not shied away from offering robust assessments of issues in the Church. Explaining this to La Stampa he said: “It is essential that cardinals speak the truth in a constructive manner and with great respect for the figure of Peter's successor.”
The Christo-centric style of Leo XIV has already been noted by a number of commentators, including on these pages.
Giving his first homily to the College of Cardinals – a key moment – in place of synodality he highlighted the importance of promoting Catholicism against “practical atheism” and the duty of those in ecclesial authority to make Christ known.
Leo highlighted the necessity of placing Christ at the forefront rather than oneself:
I say this first of all to myself, as the Successor of Peter, as I begin my mission as Bishop of Rome and, according to the well-known expression of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, am called to preside in charity over the universal Church. Saint Ignatius, who was led in chains to this city, the place of his impending sacrifice, wrote to the Christians there: “Then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees my body.”
Ignatius was speaking about being devoured by wild beasts in the arena – and so it happened – but his words apply more generally to an indispensable commitment for all those in the Church who exercise a ministry of authority. It is to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified, to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.
Personnel is policy
As expected, every appointment made by Pope Leo is currently being scrutinized with Vatican observers keen to try and gague what direction the pontificate might take or what message each nomination may carry.
For the time being, Leo has – as is standard practice – asked the leaders, secretaries and members of the Roman Curia to remain in place temporarily. It is expected that he will begin to make certain changes from the autumn, having used his summer to deliberate.
Certainly, the holders of key posts will without doubt shed light on the priorities Leo seeks to emphasize. Leaving Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández and Cardinal Arthur Roche as prefects of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments would without doubt send a message.
Cardinal Burke – a longtime member of the Roman Curia and a key figure in Rome – urged patience.
“Leo is taking time to appoint people who can help him in his main responsibilities,” he said. “The office of pope is impossible for those who do not have the right collaborators.”
Burke pointed to the Pope’s regnal name as an indicator of how Leo will act – as indeed, Leo himself did when addressing the cardinals in his first week:
Already the choice of the name, which refers to Leo the Great and Leo XIII, makes clear his desire to be an authentic “father of fathers,” a true shepherd of the universal Church. We must pray for him and help him, each in our own role.”
In this manner, Burke echoes the theme recently expressed by Cdl. Zen who also encouraged Catholics to be patient in assessing Leo’s actions.
Writing on July 1, Cardinal Joseph Zen warned about being hasty to produce a reading or a ‘take’ on Leo, saying:
Let us continue to pray for the Pope, without rushing or putting pressure on him, without creating fake news, and without overanalyzing his every action or word. Let us help him successfully dispel confusion and restore unity, not only within the Church, but also among Christians, so that the unity of Christians may soon become a reality.
Without doubt, certain appointments have given cause for concern. The naming of Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro as the new president of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) on May 27, replacing the long-standing president Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, is one such instance due to Pegoraro’s openness to the use of contraception.
But at the same time, many Catholics have seen signs of hope by similar actions of Leo: the appointment of Cardinal Robert Sarah as papal envoy to the celebrations of St. Anne in July and a personal letter from Leo to Burke thanking him for his service to the Church.
Indeed, Burke has already advised Leo XIV on the question of the traditional Mass saying in June that:
“It is my hope that he will put an end to the persecution of the faithful in the Church who desire to worship God according to more ancient usage of Roman rite, this persecution from within the Church.”
As Leo XIV returns to the Vatican from Castel Gandolfo this evening, marking the end of his summer vacation, all eyes will now be on him once again to determine the next moves in his pontificate. Which names will rise in his esteem; what focus will be given to the Synod; what future will the traditional Mass have and will any clarifications be forthcoming about recent confusions?
What a nothingburger