Thomas Griffin 5/17/24
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On Saturday, May 11th, Harrison Butker gave a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas. Butker is famous as the field goal kicker for the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs. Benedictine is a small school of a little over 2,000 students. This small school and this field goal kicker have made major headlines this week.
Butker decided to speak boldly and proudly about his Catholic faith while also being willing to show how the culture has gone astray. He opened by speaking about the “disorder” that is rampant in our culture. Specifically he said that this disorder can be seen in the topics of “abortion, IVF, surrogacy, and euthanasia.” He later referenced gender ideology as well as the breakdown of traditional marriage and family life.
Harrison is not afraid to speak about topics that might be threatening to those in mainstream culture. He has been consistent, especially in the last few years, in being willing to speak about the tough topics with clarity and in alignment with the Catholic faith. The Catholic faith was front and center in his speech.
He spoke about President Biden’s witness as a man who claims to be a devout Catholic but who also champions abortion. Throughout our nation and culture we see examples of people who promote injustice but claim to be living out the Catholic faith at the same time, he said. “From the man behind the COVID lockdowns,” Butker continued “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.”
It was clear that Harrison desired to communicate this as a key thesis in his speech. To be Catholic means that we are bold and that we proclaim the truth, no matter the cost. In a culture that does not value the truth he knows this is going to be a challenge. For those graduating college and entering the workforce, they need to be aware of this. We need to be willing to speak up and to do so with confidence, Butker noted.
The famous field goal kicker also noted that “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.” He admitted that he has become somewhat famous for his willingness to speak in such a fashion, especially among a business like the NFL which desires to reside on the side of tolerance for a variety of opinions above everything else.
In fact, in the days following his speech the NFL condemned his words, along with many other famous voices who took issue with his words about truth and his decision to speak against the religion of “equity, inclusion and diversity.” The NFL stated that they do not agree with Butker’s statements and that the league stands for diversity, not against it. Over 125,000 people also signed a petition calling for the Kansas City Chiefs to cut ties with the three-time Super Bowl kicker following his words last week.
His attacks on abortion as well as pride month were the topics that placed him most in the crosshairs with the NFL and others. Along with these issues, people have taken offense regarding his words about his wife Isabelle. He uses her as an example of the greatest thing a woman can do: be a wife, mother and homemaker.
Somehow his words are being misconstrued as sexist because he desired to champion the gift of his wife who desires to be the primary educator and caregiver to her children while also being willing to keep Harrison in line if he ever stresses football over faith and family. Ironically, in his speech he referenced the effects of speaking the truth:
“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…We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority.”
When we cling to Christ and desire to become like him people will attack us. That is what they did to him 2,000 years ago and it continues today. His viral speech is proof that this is true. While Butker is a famous personality who has the opportunity to speak on stages with a microphone, we can learn from his example. We can learn from his words as well.
The Catholic faith is not aligned with the culture. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can pray for the strength to begin to build it back up, no matter the cost. This will occur by speaking up for the truth, by proclaiming Jesus Christ. It all begins with deepening our relationship with him and being willing to speak of our friendship with him as the most important thing.
Doing so is the only option for those who wish to be Catholic, not just in name but in word and in deed.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine.
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