CV NEWS FEED // CatholicVote President Brian Burch has called on the NFL’s leaders to clarify whether Catholics are welcome in the NFL in light of their statement denouncing the commencement speech given by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at a Catholic college in Kansas.
“In that speech, for which he received a standing ovation, Butker called on Catholics to live up to the high ideals of our Faith, including the defense of the dignity of every human life, the foundational role of the family, and the gift of motherhood,” Burch wrote on May 16 to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt.
“These ideals are not controversial for millions of Americans and indeed remain sacred for millions of religious believers, including millions of your fans and customers,” Burch wrote. Nonetheless, a “recent statement by the league distancing itself from Butker for his remarks calls into question your commitment to genuine diversity and inclusion.”
Burch noted that the NFL claims it “honors and celebrates the broad ranges of human difference among us, while also embracing the commonalities we share, and to provide each individual with the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”
“Does this inclusion include Catholics, pro-life Americans, mothers, and those who hold to traditional moral beliefs? We certainly hope you will continue to ignore the reckless calls for Mr. Butker to be canceled, or worse,” Burch wrote:
We understand not every American, or NFL fan for that matter, may share the same opinions or beliefs as Mr. Butker.
We are hopeful, however, that you do not intend to send a message to Catholics, or to those that still uphold basic moral tenets of a civilized society, that they are outsiders and no longer welcome.
CatholicVote is also calling on Catholics to sign a petition in support of Butker, which can be accessed here.
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