Harrison Butker: Difference between revisions

He is a devout [[Catholic]]. Butker has publicly spoken out against ''[[Traditionis custodes]]'', saying that he felt that he and other tradition-oriented Catholics were "persecuted" in the Church.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saddened by restrictions, NFL star speaks out in defense of Traditional Latin Mass|url=https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/02/14/saddened-by-restrictions-nfl-star-speaks-out-in-defense-of-traditional-latin-mass/#:~:text=NFL%20kicker%20Harrison%20Butker%20and%20his%20return%20to,II%20Roman%20Missal%20of%201962%2C%20may%20be%20used.|date=February 14, 2022|access-date=February 24, 2022|first=Joe|last=Bukuras|publisher=[[Catholic World Report]]}}</ref> He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Regina Caeli Academy, an accredited PK-12 Classical homeschool hybrid academy, located in cities across the United States and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.rcahybrid.org/board-of-directors |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=Regina Caeli |language=en}}</ref> He is staunchly [[pro-life]] and has denounced the [[LGBTQ]] community.<ref name="beliefs" /> In April 2024 he spoke with Republican Senator [[Josh Hawley]] at the "Stronger Men's Conference" and talked about how his deep rooted faith grounds him in his NFL career.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.outkick.com/sports/chiefs-harrison-butker-faith-stronger-mens-conference |title=Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Shares How His Faith Keeps Him Grounded At 'Stronger Men's Conference' |website=[[OutKick]] |access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref>

In his 2024 commencement address he cited his belief that the [[jews|Jewish people]] are responsible for the death of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]] by criticizing a bill condemning [[antisemitism]]. Yvette Walker of the ''[[Kansas City Star]]'' criticized Butker's speech writing, "The church long has held that Jews could not be held collectively accountable, since the [[Second Vatican Council]] in the 1960s. In 2011, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] affirmed this...and wrote there is no basis in Scripture for blaming Jews".<ref>{{cite news |first=Yvette |last=Walker |url=https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/yvette-walker/article288491813.html |title=Chiefs' Butker is welcome to his conservative beliefs — but he's wrong on women, Bible |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]] |access-date=May 14, 2024 |date=May 14, 2024}}</ref>

He reaffirmed his beliefs towards women in the workforce again in a 2024 commencement to the graduating class of [[Benedictine College]]. He addressed various "diabolical lies told to women" about them in the workforce and encouraged the female graduates to embrace their role as "homemakers".<ref name="beliefs">{{cite magazine |title=Chiefs' Harrison Butker Criticized for Graduation Speech Attacking Working Women While Quoting Taylor Swift |url=https://people.com/chiefs-harrison-butker-criticized-graduation-speech-attacking-working-women-quoting-taylor-swift-8648547 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> His speech, laced with other controversial personal and political opinions, went [[Viral video|viral]] on [[social media]] and which drew a backlash and criticism.<ref name="beliefs" /><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/chiefs-kicker-harrison-butker-faces-backlash-over-homemaker-remark/ |title=Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Faces Backlash Over 'Homemaker' Wife Comments During Graduation Speech |magazine=[[Us Weekly]] |access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Treacy |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/harrison-butker-chiefs-kicker-commencement-speech-benedictine/c41b0afd31caab13561cc0ec |title=What did Harrison Butker say? Chiefs kicker gives controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College |website=[[The Sporting News]] |access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Eley |url=https://www.today.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-benedictine-college-rcna152297 |title=Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker criticizes working women, Pride month and more in graduation speech |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |access-date=May 14, 2024 |date=May 14, 2024}}</ref> Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn slammed Butker writing, "Harrison Butker doesn't represent Kansas City nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members."<ref name="beliefs" /> ''OutSports'' wrote, "One of the worst parts of this NFL player's awful speech is that he quoted a [[Taylor Swift]] song before telling women they should be homemakers and serve their man's career."<ref name="beliefs" />

==== Pro-life advocacy ====

In March 2024 interview with ''[[Catholic News Agency]]'', Butker condemned the [[Catholic Church]] for burying a recently deceased transgender advocate Cecilia Gentili. Butker wrote a letter to Cardinal [[Timothy M. Dolan|Timothy Dolan]] encouraging him to take a "strong stance" against the irreverent actions that took place. Butker said in the interview, "We need men that are leading saying, 'This is not right. This is wrong. As Catholics, we will not accept this."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257119/harrison-butker-addresses-family-life-gun-violence-taylor-swift-and-more-in-far-reaching-interview|title= Harrison Butker addresses family life, gun violence, Taylor Swift, and more in far-reaching interview|website= Catholic News Agency|access-date= May 14, 2024}}</ref>

After finding out that she was a fan of his, Butker sent the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who died in the [[2024 Kansas City parade shooting|mass shooting at the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII parade]], one of his jerseys for her to be buried in. Lopez-Galvan, like Butker, was Catholic and was wearing Butker's jersey during the parade.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lisa Lopez-Galvan's family hoped to lay her to rest in Harrison Butker jersey, Chiefs kicker delivered |url=https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/parade-shooting/lisa-lopez-galvans-family-hoped-to-lay-her-to-rest-in-harrison-butker-jersey-chiefs-kicker-delivered |website=KSHB.com|date=February 20, 2024}}</ref> Butker stated he does not believe the Super Bowl parade shooting was a gun issue, but something that can be remedied in the home saying, "At the end of the day, this is degenerate violence and it should not be occurring. I think we need strong fathers in the home. I think we need men that are leading, that are setting good examples, that are teaching the young men in our society that violence is not the way to handle our disputes."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.mediaite.com/sports/kansas-city-chiefs-kicker-pushes-back-on-idea-parade-shooting-was-a-gun-issue-i-think-we-need-strong-fathers-in-the-home/|title= Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Pushes Back on Idea Parade Shooting Was a 'Gun Issue': 'I Think We Need Strong Fathers in the Home'|website= Mediate|access-date= May 14, 2024}}</ref>