Pope Francis revokes privileges of critical Cardinal Raymond Burke

Reuters reports that Pope Francis has removed certain Vatican privileges from conservative American Cardinal Raymond Burke. The Cardinal was stripped of his sizable, subsidized home, and his salary. A high-ranking Vatican official, who asked to remain anonymous, reported on this situation. This official, who was present at a Vatican meeting, revealed that Pope Francis considered Burke as one of his sharpest critics acting against both the Church and the Papacy. The Cardinal was also blamed for creating "discord" within the Church.

A Reuters update noted that Burke hasn't maintained a higher position in the Vatican for years, similar to many other Cardinals. He serves as a consultant to one of the Tribunals and resides outside Rome, most of his time being spent in his home state of Wisconsin. The anonymous official dismissed media claims that Pope Francis has labeled the 75-year-old Cardinal as an adversary.

The removal of privileges from the conservative cleric wasn't the first occurrence of such action taken by the current Pope. On the 11th of November, Francis relieved Bishop Joseph Strickland from his duties in a Texas diocese. The Vatican didn't release an official reason for the dismissal of the cleric, but it is widely believed to be due to his critique of the Synod.

Since early on in his position, Raymond Burke has shown opposition to the Pope's reforms. In 2014, Francis dismissed him from the role of head of the Vatican tribunal. Not long before this, the Cardinal remarked that with the current leader, the Church felt "like a ship without a rudder." More recently in October, Burke was one of five clergymen publicly questioning the ongoing month-long Synod. At present, conservatives form a minority within the Church.