Cardinal Raymond Burke

Photo courtesy of Cardinal Raymond Burke

Prefect Emeritus of the Apostolic Signatura (Retired)

Dioceses/Religious Orders: Diocese of La Crosse, Archdiocese of St.Louis

As bishop of LaCrosse, Burke kept a greater percentage of priests with reports of sexual assault in active ministry than any other bishop in the United States, even after direct and documented admissions of guilt. He never reported any of the dozens of known priest offenders in La Crosse to police or civil authorities. As archbishop of St Louis, Burke transferred dozens of proven, admitted, and credibly accused predator priests from around the US to live in church facilities or private residences. At least three were found to be working in city parishes and a local Catholic college. Burke co-wrote an open letter for publication and distribution equating homosexuality and pedophilia.

SNAP filed a complaint against Burke under the pope’s 2023 decree Vos estis lux mundi on April 15, 2025

Vos estis lux mundi, Pope Francis’ 2023 decree, allows any bishop, cardinal, or religious superior to be reported and investigated for abuse or cover-up. These complaints, submitted to the Vatican, are not verdicts of guilt. They are evidence-based calls for investigation—each meeting the church’s own standard of “serious indications” that a violation occurred. In civil terms, this is equivalent to probable cause or reasonable grounds to investigate.

Every filing draws from a solid foundation of survivor and eyewitness testimony, public records and church statements, independent investigations by media and legal experts, official church documents and canonical proceedings, testimony, depositions, and court-ordered documents from criminal and civil cases.