Saturday, October 19, 2024

Barefoot and Pregnant speech annotated.

 

            Okay, I had some fun writing this but it’s going to take you a half hour to get through it.

In the beginning.

            I read a post where the KC Chief owner’s wife said that we should be careful in reading quotes pulled out of context.  (Butker is a place kicker for the Chiefs.)  She has a good point.  Conservatives are big on context especially when racist, sexist, homophobic comments are being made by MAGA conservatives.  

So what I have done is take the text of Harrison Butker’s speech and added my comments at the point where they were made.  Butker’s speech is kind of hard to take out of context because it’s all context.  His remarks are in italics Times New Roman font.  Mine will be in parenthetical marks in Ariel font in blue.

One of the main takeaways of Butker’s speech for me is that he trashed the Catholic church, it’s church leadership, and the majority of Catholics really badly.  This during a time when Trump is courting the Catholic vote.  In his holier-than-thou way, Butker really shines the light on himself as being an example of how a true Catholic should act, think, and feel.

Revisiting Butker’s speech now is certainly turning out to be timely given his manly man bromance with Hawley, and since rapist-criminal-out-on-bail-and-awaiting-sentencing Trump spoke at the Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York.[1]  It’s an event that raises money for Catholic charities.  Timothy Dolan, Cardinal Archbishop of the Diocese of New York was there.[2]  Trump gave a typically profane, grievance-filled campaign rally speech in front of his Eminence, priests, and others in attendance.  Dolan yucked it up with Trump.  Butker and Hawley would be so proud. 

~

Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech

Provided by the National Catholic Registry website

The Super Bowl champ and kicker spoke about the dignity of life, masculinity, and the most important role of all: motherhood.  (Because of course that’s what female college graduates should be aspiring to – motherhood.)

Editor’s Note: Harrison Butker, 28, the placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League, delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on Saturday, May 11, 2024. A transcript of his remarks is below.

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.

(Hm.  Irony at its finest.  Who’s he talking about here?  Political leaders?  Religious leaders?  Priests?  Bishops?  Biden?  Probably not Trump.  The phrase “stay in your lane[3] is used as a term of admonishment or advice against those who express thoughts or opinions on a subject about which they are viewed as having insufficient knowledge or ability.  Missing some clarity here.)

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.  

(Butker’s thoughts aren’t directed at just Catholics.) 

One last thing before I begin, I want to be sure to thank President Minnis 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 mater, 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. [Laughter] It 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.  

(Trump was in charge of that fiasco when the pandemic started.  Butker, and MAGA, tend to forget that last year of Trump’s administration or blame Biden for it.  Biden inherited it and dug the nation out of it.) 

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 in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.

(Kinda’ hard to take that out of context.  It seems pretty clear to me.  He does not say what he considers to be degenerate cultural values?  Why not?  Sounds kind of important.  Like millions of people support a rapist criminal for President?  His audience knew exactly what he meant, though.  As for disorder, Trump is chaos personified.)

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.

(Butker’s God slaughtered multitudes of innocent people including babies.  God specifically targeted children at times.  God—not a government.  Also, the Bible provides specific instructions for abortion. Numbers 5:19-22.  Just like many faithful Catholics practice birth control, many also believe in reproductive choice with regard to abortion.  But Butker has an answer for that too, coming right up.)

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.

(Obviously, just being Catholic is not enough, you must be the right kind of Catholic.  President Biden is Catholic, but not the right kind.  Fauci was Catholic at one time but now identifies as being a humanist.  Trump is not Catholic either.  No one is pushing “gender ideologies” on kids.  Right wing Christians want to assign blame when one of their kids turns out to be queer.  They know they aren’t to blame but it has to be somebody’s fault for them so they blame teachers.  Butker is just continuing the MAGA attack on public education.)

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.

(Polite society?!  What fucking planet is Butker living on?  Has he ever heard President Trump and MAGA supporters?  He doesn’t belong to the church of nice.  He belongs to the church of hate and intolerance.)

It is safe to say that over the past few years, I have 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.

(Butker says people should stay in their lane while he tells us “hard truths.”  He talks about lanes several times.  It turns out that God wants him to say hateful things.)

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.

(First of all, Jesus didn’t found the Church, his followers did.  Jesus was a Jew, which many Christians would like to forget.  Next, I’d like to know who he considers to be the cultural elite.  He’s a multimillionaire speaking from a position of privilege.  Naming names would have been helpful here.  Dems!  I’ll bet it’s the Dems!  Christianity is a long, long way from being quiet and harmless.  Christian hate mongering has been going on for decades.  They are loud and proud about it.)

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.

(Butker is playing the religious persecution card right before making his racist comments.  He’s saying here that he can’t say that Jesus was killed by a Jew because that would be considered anti-Semitic.  Jesus was a Jew.  In some Christian faith traditions, at the end of the world as we know it all Jews that don’t convert and confess Jesus as their savior die and spend eternity in a lake of fire.  Seems harsh.)

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 and matching outfits for the parish directory.

(Couldn’t help but notice that he left out the Pope again when talking about the leaders of the church.  I confess I’m surprised because not only is the Pope THE leader of the Catholic church Francis is quite a controversial one.  Perhaps he’ll be able to dig down deep and call out the Pope someday as not being properly Catholic enough to suit Harrison Butker.)

It's easy for us laymen 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. 

(Butker really has a hard-on for priests and I don’t mean in a good way.  Apparently exhibiting human weakness is something priests really shouldn’t do.  Once again, the Pope is not mentioned.)

St. Josemaría Escrivá states that priests are ordained to serve, and should not yield to temptation to imitate laypeople, 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. [Laughter]

(Again, priests are not allowed to be human but this idea that they are all out there for the “adulation” of their parishioners has to have its roots in something personal, don’t you think?  But it’s refreshing to see that he knows his audience is familiar enough with his teammate’s girlfriend to get the joke and that he agrees with her.)

Saint Josemaría continues that some want to see the priest as just another man. That is not so. They want to find in the priest 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 reworded for our times. Plus, there are still many good and holy priests, and it's up to us to seek them out. 

(Butker wants priests that will teach what Butker already believes.  If you seek out people that share an ideology of hate you will find them.  Just go to any MAGA rally.)

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. 

(Give me sacraments or give me death!  Butker is really upset that evidently some priests put saving lives during the height of Covid ahead of giving sacraments.  Like many in MAGA he doesn’t seem to understand what “highly communicable/contagious disease” means.  And he’s okay with killing priests.  Lots of priests and ministers of other faiths died during Covid that didn’t need to.  Them dying left their remaining congregations without leadership that could give 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.

(How about mentioning a woman saint?  There are women saints.[4]  Lots of them.  Lots of nuns do good works as well.  How about a little recognition for all the women that laid down their lives for their faith?  Like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, for example, who was most known for her patronage of schools and was the first native born American to be canonized.  Speaking of nuns, the Lamaze coach my first wife and I had was a nun.  That’s the kind of real-world thing nuns do.)

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 bishop's conference as a whole puts out an important document on this matter or that, nobody even takes a moment to read it, let alone follow it. 

(Butker really needs somebody to bow down to.  I have to admit I don’t understand the whole ring kissing bit.)

No. Today, our shepherds are far more concerned with keeping the doors open to the chancery than they are with saying the difficult stuff out loud.

(Again with the difficult “stuff.”  Like calling out the Pope for not being a good leader and keeping priests, bishops, and laity in their lane?  Or are they supposed to get out of their lane?  It’s kind of confusing.)

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. 

(How about the Pope?  What if the Pope says that you’re out of your lane.  Oh wait, he already did.  I get the feeling Butker is calling out the bishops here for not being more political and preaching/ranting about abortion, DEI, queer folks and immigration.)

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. 

(Butker acknowledged that he got out of his lane.  That rebel.  I disagree with him.  He has his beliefs and spoke them in public.  Perhaps next time he’ll name names.)

Focusing on my vocation while praying and fasting for these men will do more for the Church than me complaining about her leaders. 

(Like the Pope?  It looks like he just said that he shouldn’t really be complaining about the leaders of the church.  But…)

Because there seems to be so much confusion coming from our leaders, there needs to be concrete examples for people to look to in 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, 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.

(Butker is saying his leaders again.  No names.  He thinks they’re confused because they don’t have his clarity.)

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 met 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 laypeople using their talents.

(Butker took another cheap shot at queers.  I wonder if he thinks he would catch on fire if he used the LGBTQIA designation.  Perhaps he’s afraid that would start him in the slide to cultural degeneracy.)

President Minnis, Dr. [Andrew] Swafford, and Dr. [Jared] Zimmerer 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.

(So now Butker wants people to stay in their lane if they’re right thinking?  Maybe everyone but him should just stay in their lane?  Again, very confusing, this whole lane thing.)

It is essential that we focus on our own state in life, whether that be as a layperson, a priest, 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. 

(Diabolical lies.  Sounds serious.  Way more serious than regular lies.  What would be one example?  Is a woman thinking that she can be successful and find happiness in a rewarding career a lie?  Or thinking she has the choice to be married or not, have kids or not?)

How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are 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 the 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.

[Applause lasting 18 seconds]

(Were there women in the audience?  Why?  Why are they bothering to get a college education if their “vocation” is to be a wife and mother?  Did they applaud because they realized they were wasting their time when they should have been spending their time on dating sites?  Butker says that if a woman wants to be truly happy she should get married, start pumping out kids, and make her man be best.)

She is a primary educator to our children. She is 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.

(Being able to afford having a stay-at-home mom/spouse/parent is great.  It just isn’t an option for a lot of parents.)

I say all of this to you because I have 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 asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and say, “Heck, No.

(“Heck, No.”  Pretty trashy talk there.  When I was a Southern Baptist in my youth we were told that heck wasn’t a good word to use because it really meant hell.  Seriously.)

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. 

(Amen to this!  No shit!  We have a pathological lying adjudicated rapist criminal Trump running for President again! What indeed are we coming to as a nation?  It’s possible that’s not what he had in mind.)

Heterodox ideas abound even within Catholic circles. 

(Okay I had to look up heterodox.[5] He’s saying that unconventional/non-traditional ideas exist in the church as well as society.)  

But 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. 

(As he stated in the beginning, he doesn’t believe in birth control and neither should Catholics.  It’s unnatural.  But we have that whole Numbers 5, 19-22 scripture that gives instructions for inducing a miscarriage.  Aka abortion.  So IVF is out, too, but somehow being involuntarily childless isn’t  acceptable either, despite the fact that this must be God’s will as well?)

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.

(I’m going to quibble about that speaking directly part.  He skirts and dances a good bit.  Maybe not dances.  That could be a part of the culturally depraved times that he finds himself living in.  But there’s a lot of code embedded in his words.)

To the gentlemen 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 U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates, as well.

(Ah yes, we need more men in charge!  They’ve done such a good job at not being women.  Clearly a woman President is out of the question due to the “disorder, dysfunction and chaos” that are bound to follow.)

Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men.

(Has Butker experienced being emasculated?)

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 am better than others, or for the smells and bells, or even for the love of Latin. I attend the TLM because I believe, just as the God of the Old Testament was pretty particular in how he wanted to be worshipped, 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.

(This whole Latin Mass thing is part and parcel of the priests must be more than men ethic he spouted earlier.  I really don’t follow how being not being able to understand the words of the Mass is going to help people in following their vocations.  Wasn’t the Old Testament God the one that did all the killing of men, women and children including pregnant women?  Pretty sure he was but I don’t want to cite all of that scripture.)

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 is a desire to know what happened and what went wrong.

(Pretty sure here that Butker is hinting here that he doesn’t believe in premarital sex.  How about sex outside the marriage through several different marriages.  Code talk.  Get it?)

What you must remember is that life is about doing the small things well, 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 are 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?

(Butker isn’t talking to the women here.  Just the guys.  Don’t you find it odd that he doesn’t mention love?  I thought that Jesus was real big on love.  I guess the message is don’t fall in love with people that don’t have the same world view as you.  Just hang with people that think like you.  Different ideas will just make you go all crazy and shit.  Butker doesn’t believe in mixed marriage so his wife converted, so doesn’t that mean she didn’t share his faith when he was dating her?  Way to practice what you preach!)

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.

I'm excited for the future, and I pray that something I have said will resonate as you move on to the next chapter of your life.

Never be afraid to profess the one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, for this is the Church that Jesus Christ established, through which we receive sanctifying grace.

I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is Heaven.

I thank God for Benedictine College and for the example it provides the world. I thank God for men like President Minnis, who are doing their part for the Kingdom. Come to find out you can have an authentically Catholic college and a thriving football program. [Laughter and applause]

Make no mistake: You are entering into mission territory in a post-God world, but you were made for this. And with God by your side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a saint.

Christ is King.

To the Heights.

(Well, there was certainly no “fluff”, but he was hardly speaking “openly”.  There was lots of code talk.  Apparently his audience understood and agreed, because he did get a standing “O”  It’s clear that Benedictine College has come a long ways from its origins.  Just ask the nuns.)


[1] https://hosted.ap.org/republicanherald/article/219b815c343e4fb017541f4f39597c39/trump-delivers-pointed-and-times-bitter-speech-al-smith

[2] https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a62651745/trump-cardinal-dolan-al-smith-dinner/

[3] https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/stay-in-your-lane/

[4] https://www.catholic.org/saints/female.php

[5] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterodox

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