Trump Endorses Cardinal Burke as Papal Successor Amid Vatican Transition
Following the passing of Pope Francis at age 88 on Easter Monday, the Catholic world is now focused on the upcoming conclave to select a new pope. Among the names gaining attention is Cardinal Raymond Burke, a 76-year-old American cleric known for his conservative stance and frequent disagreements with the late pontiff.
Burke, originally from Wisconsin, has become a prominent figure in the race to lead the Catholic Church, especially with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, now serving his second term. Trump has publicly supported Burke, praising him as a staunch defender of traditional Church values and doctrine, particularly in contrast to Pope Francis’s more progressive direction.
While currently ranked sixth by oddsmakers, Burke is one of several potential candidates to be considered when 138 cardinals under the age of 80 gather behind closed doors to elect the new pope. Burke’s high-profile career includes a term as Archbishop of St. Louis and his later appointment by Pope Benedict XVI to serve as head of the Church’s highest court, the Apostolic Signatura.
However, Burke’s influence waned during Francis’s papacy. In 2013, he was removed from the influential Congregation of Bishops, and a year later, he was relieved of his judicial duties. Burke has often criticized the Vatican’s openness to marginalized groups and its softer approach to issues such as divorce and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
In 2023, the Vatican revoked Burke’s rent-free housing and monthly allowance in Rome, a move described by Church officials as a reassignment of privileges rather than a punitive action. Despite this, Burke continues to reside in Rome and maintains that he never viewed Pope Francis as an enemy, despite their clear ideological differences.
Other papal contenders include more moderate and progressive figures such as Pietro Parolin, Matteo Zuppi, Luis Antonio Tagle, and fellow conservative Peter Erdö. As the conclave nears, the debate over the Church’s future intensifies—will it maintain Francis’s reformist vision or pivot back toward a more traditionalist path?
