Pope commends previously scorned cardinal for his ministry

Roman Catholic cardinal Raymond Burke on Tuesday said he received a letter from Pope Leo XIV thanking him for his service to the church. In the letter, the pope also commended Burke for what the pope characterized as his zeal for church law and diligent preaching. Burke said he was humbled to receive the letter and requested that Catholics pray for God to grant the pope wisdom and many years in office.

The late Pope Francis in 2023 revoked the American cardinal’s salary and Vatican-subsidized apartment. The Vatican did not give public reasons for the decision, but Burke was known for criticizing Francis for what he described as his lack of clarity on issues of homosexuality. Burke on Tuesday did not say whether Leo’s mark of favor accompanied the restoration of the salary and apartment.

What are other American Catholic clergy saying about the new pope? The former bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, on Thursday said he was concerned that the pope appointed Thomas Hennen as bishop-elect of an Oregon diocese. Hennen was involved in drafting a set of LGBTQ pastoral guidelines at the diocese of Davenport, Strickland said. The guidelines encourage Catholics to listen to some medical professionals’ advice on gender and sexuality and to make accommodations for people who identify as LGBTQ on a case-by-case basis.

However, Hennen also previously said that Catholics shouldn’t budge on the truth about sexuality and gender. They should instead consider how to express it in a loving way, he said.

Francis removed Strickland from his post as bishop in 2023 under similar circumstances to Burke’s discipline.