Can a Super Bowl champion be persecuted?

Diving into the history behind the ignored parts of Harrison Butker's speech

Weighing in on what half the world has weighed in on, I think we need to speak briefly about three-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College.

A Red Kansas City Chiefs Flag flies in front of a cloudy sky

Harrison, from a brief Wikipedia glance, has doctor/professor parents, went to private school, excelled in three sports, played first chair tuba in band all four years, went on to play football at Georgia Tech, got recruited to the major leagues to the tune of millions, and then has gone on to win three Super Bowls. His fallback career is the meager paycheck of industrial engineering.

His career, honestly, is one of those beautiful kismet connections of a high achieving personality, the education and background to challenge it, and being born in a time where kicking a ball is really, REALLY lucrative.

Oftentimes, a function of our culture is that people who do well in one aspect of life gain platforms that allow them to speak on totally unrelated subjects (JK Rowling on trans rights comes to mind). Sometimes this is as simple as what they like to eat or how they like to exercise, but in this case, we crossed into how this influential man likes to worship.

The media at large has latched onto a single aspect of this speech, his approach to women in the home. That was not the main point of his speech, honestly.

The rest of his speech condemns the President, offers sketchy versions of House Bills, argues for a stronger divide between clergy and laypeople in the Catholic church, condemns playing God with the use of birth control or family planning, and states that, “I attend the TLM [traditional or Tridentine Latin Mass] because I believe, just as the God of the Old Testament was pretty particular in how he wanted to be worshipped, the same holds true for us today.”

In short, Harrison Butker is a TradCatholic, in the same vein as the perhaps more familiar TradWives movement, and he was speaking at a college graduation to folks that are largely TradCatholics (hence the standing ovation at the end of his speech), who choose to go to a school that has, at least in recent years, become one that embraces TradCatholic beliefs.

I do want to warn my readers, who may be conservative evangelical Christians or even just politically conservative, that it is prudent to think twice about agreeing with Butker just because one point of his speech aligns with your political views. He would heartily disagree with you in many, many other ways. He doesn’t need your defense, surely.

At the end of the day, he is welcome to attend Traditional Latin Mass, to divide the labor in his household the way that works well for them, and to have as many children as he and Isabelle likes. 

The problem comes when he states that his way of living is the Most Holy Way. The problem comes from confusing a man's preference with a deity's commands.

(In his speech, he expressly states that he doesn't attend Latin Mass out of preference, but because this is how God wants to be worshiped.)

This happens frequently in the church. The Bible itself is vague on ritual, and tradition had yet to harden up into anything solid when it was written, so scriptural references to church practices are minimal and short on details.

But goshdarnit, do people like to tell you what is the holiest way to take communion, enter the building, display things on the altar, say a prayer, set up a sanctuary, raise up a child, or have and hold your spouse.

I've said it before, I will say it again, but church as we know it built up in layers over time. The most ancient forms we have are not the most ancient forms that existed, and even if we could get a hold of them, there would be several vying for “most ancient” because lots were done concurrently.

So let's talk about the history of the Latin Mass.

Early Christian gatherings were centered in homes of believers. There were no churches, so to speak, at least from a building perspective. People gathered, sang hymns or scripture, and it was often accompanied by a Eucharistic meal (which seems to be more involved than our wafer/wine ritual today) or an agape meal, which was something a bit closer to a fellowship hour. Any liturgical elements at this time were modeled on Jewish religious rites.

I’m defining rites here as the patterns that make up a religious service or ceremony. This can include prayers, hymns, chants, texts, readings, or responsive things said together. Lots of times there are smaller “micro rites" that combine together to make up the larger patterns of liturgy.

A picture of Martin Luther holding a lightsaber that says “The Jedi in me says ‘May the Force by with you"‘, The Lutheran in me say ‘And also with you.’

As Christianity spread in the next thousand years, regional worship practices began to form. Some examples are below, but not an exhaustive list by any means.

1. Roman Rite: Distinguished by its structured and uniform approach to the liturgy, which became the basis for standardization in the Western Church.

2. Ambrosian Rite: Unique for its distinct Ambrosian chant and additional liturgical elements not found in the Roman Rite, reflecting Milanese traditions.

3. Mozarabic Rite: Characterized by its ancient origins and richly symbolic liturgies, reflecting both Visigothic and Islamic influences.

4. Gallican Rite: Known for its elaborate and diverse liturgical practices, including extensive use of processions and unique hymnody.

5. Celtic Rite: Recognizable by its distinct monastic traditions, unique prayers, and hymns deeply rooted in the spirituality of the British Isles and Ireland.

6. Sarum Rite: Noted for its detailed ceremonial rubrics and influence on later Anglican liturgical practices, making it distinct within English liturgy.

7. Braga Rite: Featuring unique local liturgical customs and prayers specific to the Archdiocese of Braga, Portugal.

8. Lyons Rite: Marked by greater use of processions and distinctive liturgical customs that set it apart from other regional rites in France.

9. Carthusian Rite: Characterized by its simplicity, silence, and contemplative focus, reflecting the austere lifestyle of the Carthusian Order.

10. Cistercian Rite: Simplified from the Roman Rite to emphasize austerity, communal prayer, and the monastic ideals of the Cistercian monks.

11. Dominican Rite: Tailored to support the preaching mission of the Dominican Order, with specific chants and liturgical practices.

12. Carmelite Rite: Distinct for its focus on contemplative prayer and Marian devotion, reflecting the spiritual priorities of the Carmelite Order.

13. Premonstratensian Rite: Unique for its incorporation of communal life elements and pastoral focus, aligning with the mission of the Premonstratensian (Norbertine) Order.

During the Medieval era, the number of regional rites were at an all-time high. Rome had fallen, taking the organization it wrought in Europe with it. At this point, rites were hyper-localized to the parish or the monastery. Everybody was doing church a little differently.

Each of these rites came with their own songs, prayers, and orders. Things got more confusing considering they also held different calendars, feast days, and saint celebrations!

The Church made attempts to standardize what was happening in churches across the European continent (Eastern Orthodox et al had already split off with their own set of rites) but nothing got settled until the Council of Trent. People, as you may know, like what they like and weren’t super keen on abandoning the prayers and songs they understood and knew.

At the Council of Trent (1545-1563), church leaders came together to discuss the problems set forth by the Reformers. We have to keep in mind that Reformers were once Catholic, and some were Catholic clergy like Martin Luther. With the multitude of rites, who was to say that a reform-sympathetic priest couldn't adjust a rite to more closely resembled their theology?

Despite their adherents’ desire to retain and maintain their own rites, the Catholic Church felt it was necessary to standardized the liturgy to ensure uniformity. The Tridentine Mass, codified in the 1570 Missal by Pope Pius V, became the norm.

So here we are: 1550 years after Jesus, and we've finally arrived at God and Harrison Butker's favorite rite, the Tridentine Latin Mass.

A priest in white and gold vestments holding up a Eucharist wafer before an ornate altar, filled with white roses in gold vases and flanked by six tall candles. He faces away, and his stole is held by a young acolyte.

Characteristics: The Tridentine Mass was celebrated in Latin, with the priest facing the altar (ad orientem), and included numerous rituals and gestures. It emphasized the sacrificial nature of the Mass and the role of the priest as a mediator between God and the congregation.

By standardizing the liturgy, the Church aimed to maintain a clear and consistent Catholic identity to safeguard against the spread of Protestant influences.

Rites stabilized within the Catholic Church, and we entered a historical period where for the most part, you could enter a Catholic church in most regions and anticipate an identical service.

The Catholic church enjoyed 400 years of rite stability, but just as we might expect from a church with 1500 years of changing rites, we see that things changed again in the 1960s, around 400 years later.

At the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the church aimed to modernize the Church and make the liturgy more accessible to the laity.

At this time, the church created the Novus Ordo Missae (1969) or New Order Mass: Introduced by Pope Paul VI, this new form of the Mass allowed for vernacular languages, encouraged active participation from the congregation, and had the priest facing the people (versus populum).

A priest stands at a simple altar, dressed in white and red robes. Before him sits a gold chalice and bread holder for the Eucharist ceremony. He is facing the camera and holding the wafer up.

Key Changes:

Language: The New Mass halts the predominant use of Latin, and moves to vernacular languages spoken in the region.

Orientation: The Priest now faces the congregation to foster a sense of community.

Simplification: Reduction of elaborate rituals to focus on the essential elements of the Eucharist.

Scripture: Expanded readings from the Bible, including a three-year cycle of readings.

Just as the Tridentine served a purpose in the Catholic church; unity, Catholic identity, or safeguarding, the Novus Ordo Mass was intended to help make the service accessible to a world that spoke no Latin.

So, now in the Catholic church, there are two forms of Mass; the extraordinary rite (Tridentine Latin Mass) and the ordinary rite (the Novus Ordo Mass).

This has caused some problems between camps that prefer one over the other. Obviously, the Tridentine Latin Mass had been done for the last 400 years. Now, just as other rites had been absorbed or abolished by the TLM, the same thing happened to it. And people were split on it. Some liked the new accessibility and interest brought by the Novus Ordo Mass, and some felt that church was now totally unfamiliar.

So in 2021, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter (Traditiones Custodes) restricting the use of the Tridentine to place more validity behind the Novus Ordo, concerned that the use of the Latin Mass was fostering division, splitting churches into multiple services or parishes.

Harrison Butker said that he felt persecuted by the Traditiones Custodes because it restricted the use of the true service, in his eyes, the Tridentine Latin Mass. This brings two questions to mind: Can the Pope be less Catholic than a football player? Can a three-time SuperBowl champion claim persecution?

All in all, I do get it. I would be frustrated if the way that I connected to my religion was suddenly restricted and harder to access. But that’s not the point that Butker is making in this speech; he tells people to prioritize the Latin Mass when they move. He says that this is the way God wants to be worshipped.

I don't have a problem with Butker wanting to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, I have a problem with him prescribing it for everyone.

I don't have a problem with his wife wanting stay at home with the kids and homeschool. I stayed at home and homeschooled. I have a problem with him insinuating that this is the most divine course for everyone. Or even an accessible one.

A white sticker on a city power pole that says “Use your privilege for good causes.”

Often, having a very fortunate life blinds us to common social realities if we do not actively challenge our empathetic imagination.

Imposing personal beliefs and preferences on a diverse community with no nuance is the broadest issue of this speech. It become particularly problematic because Butker's beliefs have religious undertones, which can cause guilt, shame, and above all, fear in those that can’t reach the ideals that this seemingly blessed man lays out.

Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College provides much food for thought on the worldview of more traditional Catholics. However, it's critical to puncture the bubble of this prescriptive stance on the Traditional Latin Mass and family roles.

It’s easy to advocate for rigid traditions and prescribed roles when they work for you. Butker’s views, rooted in a life of privilege, fail to acknowledge the myriad ways people can find meaning, purpose, and holiness outside his narrow perspective.

By claiming his path is the divinely mandated one, Butker dismisses the valid, varied, and vibrant ways others live their faith, not only now, but through time. Such a stance doesn’t build community—it divides it. It’s a reminder that we must critically evaluate the messages from those who, despite their success, lack the breadth of experience to speak for everyone.

In the end, it's not about tearing down tradition but about expanding our understanding to embrace a multitude of ways to connect with faith and spirituality. We must reject the notion that one privileged perspective holds all the answers. True faith, after all, is about humility, compassion, and understanding—values conspicuously absent in Butker's narrow sermon.

(Now a message from our sponsor: Hi, it's me, Shay, author of above. Just a quick message that I am a church historian in grad school with a mission to bring academic subjects into wider conversation. If you'd like to support my work and ongoing journey, I would love it if you would subscribe. If you find my work helpful, you can upgrade to a paid subscription through Substack to help buy me a book or two for class, or tip me at the paypal button below. Thanks!)