Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker delivered a graduation speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., last week. Butker, a devout Roman Catholic who attends Latin Mass, is in a controversial spotlight. You may recall the leaked FBI memo from early 2023 suggesting monitoring traditionalist Catholic groups, especially those who attend Latin Mass, for potential ties to extremist activity.
Butker’s speech wasn’t the usual graduation fluff. It was substantial, including quoting St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. The speech was provocative, igniting the internet and infuriating progressives.
The class of 2024 were high school seniors in 2020 and missed graduation because of misguided COVID-19 policies. Butker highlighted lessons learned from these government-imposed adversities, criticizing poor leadership and bad decisions.
He referenced St. Damien of Molokai, who served a leper colony in Hawaii for 11 years. This was a pointed critique of churches that shut down during COVID, deeming themselves “nonessential.” If Molokai could serve lepers, why couldn’t parish priests and bishops serve their congregations?
This “pervasiveness of disorder” during a government-imposed crisis led to issues like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia and the degeneration of cultural values in need of authentic moral leadership. Butker urged graduates to stay true to their values in the face of misguided societal pressures.
Butker described the difficulty of maintaining a strong Catholic identity in a society that often misrepresents or opposes traditional values. With deliberate criticism toward leaders who claim to be Catholic while supporting backwards policies against Church teaching, he emphasized the importance of speaking and acting with charity without compromising the truth. True Catholicism requires courage and authenticity, both rarely seen in many public figures obsessed with power and politics.
He didn’t shy away from calling out President Biden directly:
“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.”
The next part of his speech reminded me of Moscow’s New Saint Andrews College. Butker praised Benedictine College for its commitment to traditional Catholic values, attributing its success and growth to this adherence. He highlighted how this embrace of tradition has led to a thriving community, doubled enrollment, and continuous development. Butker pointed to Benedictine as a beacon of light, demonstrating how a Christ-centered existence can lead to both spiritual and worldly success and inspire other institutions.
Addressing the female graduates, Butker emphasized the fulfillment found in embracing traditional roles of marriage and motherhood.
“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 mother. ... All of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
That part of his speech incensed liberals, who were furious he called homemaking a vocation. Yet practicing Christians for 2,000 years have understood Titus 2:5 to say just that: a Christian woman’s high calling is as a homemaker. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
Butker urged the male graduates to embrace their roles as men, emphasizing the importance of masculinity and responsibility within the home and community. He linked the absence of men in households to societal issues like violence, calling for men to take on difficult tasks and lead by example. Butker encouraged them to reject cultural emasculation, strive for hard work and use their God-given talents to glorify God and benefit society. His message about positive masculinity is spot on, making him an excellent role model for these graduates.
Intolerant of free speech, the NFL’s chief DEI officer immediately issued a statement saying Butker’s comments don’t reflect the views of the league. “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization.” Fitting, for a league that’s the poster boy of domestic violence.
Our society isn’t used to public figures boldly championing Christian values and challenging cultural idols, which is why Butker’s speech has incensed the left. Yet he will inspire many with his unapologetic truth and, more importantly, his boldness to live out his words as a Christian, husband, father and athlete.
Courtney served 20 years as a nuclear engineering officer aboard submarines and 15 years as a graduate school instructor. A political independent, he spends his time playing with his eight grandchildren in Moscow.
