American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a critic of Pope Francis, had his first private audience with the pontiff in seven years. The meeting took place in Rome, but the Vatican did not disclose the topics of discussion. Burke, known to be a hero to traditionalists in the Church, declined to discuss the content of the discussion when asked. Instead, he responded with a joke, saying, “Well, I’m still alive.”
Burke was wearing a floor-length black overcoat, a black hat, and holding rosary beads in his left hand when he exited his residence in Rome. The Vatican scheduled the meeting on the pope’s official schedule, as is customary, but did not reveal any further details.
Last month, Pope Francis stripped Burke of some Vatican privileges, including a rent-subsidized apartment. However, Burke declined to comment when asked about the apartment at his private audience with the pope. Francis allegedly made the decision to revoke Burke’s Vatican privileges, claiming that Burke was “working against the Church and against the papacy,” and had created “disunity” within the Church.
Burke has been an outspoken critic of Pope Francis from the early years of his papacy. In 2014, Francis removed Burke from his post as head of a Vatican tribunal. The move occurred shortly after Burke said that the Church under Francis was “like a ship without a rudder.”
Furthermore, Burke was among a small group of cardinals who challenged a global synod in October and asked the Church to clarify its position on whether same-sex couples could receive any kind of blessings. Burke opposes the idea, and his challenge created further tension between him and Francis.
In the United States, Burke is particularly revered by conservative Catholics, and he is often a guest on conservative Catholic media outlets that are critical of the pope. Despite the tension between the two, the private audience may be viewed as a step towards reconciliation or, at least, an opportunity for a peaceful dialogue.