A little over two months before the meeting convened by Leo XIV to reflect on the ten years of the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke has issued a call to Catholics to be prepared to defend marriage and the family even at the cost of martyrdom.
The American cardinal made this exhortation during the homily for the feast of Saint James the Apostle at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wisconsin, where he presented the Apostle as an example of fidelity unto martyrdom and proposed that same spirit for those living the vocation of marriage.
“Let us be prepared for martyrdom”
Drawing inspiration from the figure of Saint James the Greater, Burke encouraged the faithful to renew their commitment to the sacrament of marriage and to the Christian family.
“Moved by the example of Saint James the Greater and helped by his intercession, let us resolve to take up with new enthusiasm and new energy the spiritual practices by which our hearts remain fully in the Heart of Jesus for the transformation of the world through the sacrament of holy matrimony and its incomparable fruit, the family,” he said.
The cardinal then urged Catholics to be ready to bear witness to the truth of marriage even in a context of growing hostility toward the faith.
“Let us be prepared for martyrdom, if not the red martyrdom of blood, at least the white martyrdom of faithful witness to Our Lord in the face of indifference, mockery, and persecution,” he noted.
Burke further explained that the example of Saint James teaches Christians to have “one single concern”: “to serve our Lord with faithful and persevering love, trusting in his victory over sin and death, even if that service demands dying for love of Him.”
Marriage, a path of Christian perfection
A significant part of the homily was devoted to the teaching of Saint John Paul II on marriage. Burke recalled the reflections that Karol Wojtyła wrote before being elected Pope and emphasized that the sacramental grace of marriage constitutes a true path of holiness.
“The grace of holy matrimony is not an ideal to which only a few may aspire, but an objective reality, a supernatural gift, which leads the man and the woman to seek the eternal salvation of the other through the path of divine love,” he stated.
Citing the then-Bishop Karol Wojtyła, he also recalled that “Christian perfection consists in love. Love is also the moral foundation of marriage. Therefore, marriage opens the possibility of Christian perfection.”
Burke concluded this reflection by noting that “all our questions about marriage must be raised at the level of the Eucharistic Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ, at the level of the perfection of divine love,” presenting the Eucharist as the source that sustains the fidelity of spouses.
A concern shared by Cardinal Zen
Burke’s words come just days after Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, also called for the protection of the family to become “the principal mission” of the Church’s pastoral action.
Zen warned that the weakening of the family institution and the abandonment of the defense of life constitute some of the greatest challenges currently facing evangelization.
The meeting convened by Leo XIV
The interventions of both cardinals come on the eve of the meeting that Leo XIV has called in the Vatican from October 7 to 14 with the presidents of the episcopal conferences from around the world to reflect on the application of Amoris laetitia ten years after its publication.
The Holy See has clarified that this is not a synod, but a consultative gathering intended to study how to proclaim the Gospel to families in the current context and to understand the pastoral reality of the different particular Churches.
When announcing the convocation last March, Leo XIV explained that the goal will be to discern how “to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in the light of Amoris laetitia.”
A debate that was never closed
The apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2016 following the synods on the family, gave rise to one of the most intense doctrinal debates of recent pontificates, especially regarding the question of access to communion for some divorced persons who have entered into a new civil marriage.
That same year, Cardinals Raymond Burke, Walter Brandmüller, Carlo Caffarra, and Joachim Meisner addressed the so-called dubia to the Pope, requesting clarifications on various passages of the document. Those questions never received a direct response.
Subsequently, Francis confirmed as an authentic interpretation of Amoris laetitia the pastoral guidelines of the bishops of the Buenos Aires region, which allowed, in certain cases, access to the sacraments for divorced persons who have entered into a new civil marriage.
In 2023, a response from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to Cardinal Dominik Duka reiterated that this interpretation forms part of the authentic magisterium, having been published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
In this context, Burke’s words take on particular relevance.
The American cardinal is, together with Walter Brandmüller, the only surviving signatory of the four who signed the 2016 dubia, and he once again insists on the need to firmly defend Catholic doctrine on marriage precisely when the Church is preparing to reflect once more on Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation.
A concern shared by Cardinal Zen
Burke’s words come just days after Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, also called for the protection of the family to become “the principal mission” of the Church’s pastoral action.
Zen warned that the weakening of the family institution and the abandonment of the defense of life constitute some of the greatest challenges currently facing evangelization.
The meeting convened by Leo XIV
The interventions of both cardinals come on the eve of the meeting that Leo XIV has called in the Vatican from October 7 to 14 with the presidents of the episcopal conferences from around the world to reflect on the application of Amoris laetitia ten years after its publication.
The Holy See has clarified that this is not a synod, but a consultative gathering intended to study how to proclaim the Gospel to families in the current context and to understand the pastoral reality of the different particular Churches.
When announcing the convocation, Leo XIV explained that the goal will be to discern how “to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in the light of Amoris laetitia.”
A debate that was never closed
The apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2016 following the synods on the family, gave rise to one of the most intense doctrinal debates of recent pontificates, especially regarding the possibility that some divorced persons who have entered into a new civil marriage might have access to communion.
That same year, Cardinals Raymond Burke, Walter Brandmüller, Carlo Caffarra, and Joachim Meisner addressed the so-called dubia to the Pope, requesting clarifications on various passages of the document. Those questions never received a direct response.
Subsequently, Francis confirmed as an authentic interpretation of Amoris laetitia the pastoral guidelines of the bishops of the Buenos Aires region, which allowed, in certain cases, access to the sacraments for divorced persons who have entered into a new civil marriage.
In 2023, a response from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to Cardinal Dominik Duka reiterated that this interpretation forms part of the authentic magisterium, having been published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
Cardinal Burke is, together with Walter Brandmüller, the only surviving signatory of the four who signed the 2016 dubia, and he once again insists on the need to firmly defend Catholic doctrine on marriage precisely when the Church is preparing to reflect once more on Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation.
Below is the complete homily of Cardinal Burke:
The Perfection of Marital Love
July 25, 2026
Feast of Saint James the Apostle – Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
La Crosse, Wisconsin
2 Cor 4:7-15 / Ps 126:1bc-2ab. 2cd-3. 4-5. 6. / Mt 20:20-28
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Apostle Saint James the Greater, together with Saint John, the beloved disciple, his blood brother, and Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles, enjoyed the special favor of Our Lord. Our Lord chose them to be witnesses of His Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and to accompany Him in His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before His cruel Passion and Death. Saint James the Greater also had the privilege of being the first of the Apostles to suffer martyrdom, thus fulfilling his apostolic mission with faithful and persevering love for his Master. The Acts of the Apostles tell us that King Herod Agrippa I “had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword.”
Herod Agrippa, thinking to please the Jewish people and rid himself once and for all of the trouble caused by the preaching and apostolic ministry of Saint James the Greater, had him executed. Yet James continues his apostolic ministry from the place of glory where he is with his Master, interceding for the flock. His tomb, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, remains one of the greatest holy places of pilgrimage for Christians. We see in the life of Saint James the truth proclaimed by Saint Paul about his own apostolic ministry:
For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Indeed, eight centuries after the burial of Saint James, his tomb in the great Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela witnessed his powerful intervention against the advance of the Arian barbarians and, later, of the Muslims against Christian Spain. His shrine continues to be a powerful place of pilgrimage to invoke his intercession in the struggle against the powerful contemporary forces of secularism, apostasy, heresy, and the Islamic persecution of Christians.
But Saint James had to undergo purification in order to give his heart ever more perfectly to the gloriously pierced Heart of Jesus in the exercise of the apostolic ministry. The Gospel recounts how his mother sought for her sons, John and James, earthly honors and power. They clearly shared the desire expressed by their mother. Let us listen to the reflection of a commentator on this episode in the life of Saint James the Greater:
The two sons of Zebedee spoke through their mother, as well as for themselves; but Christ directed His answer to them, telling them that they did not know what they were asking, because in His Kingdom dignities are not attained by the bold and ambitious, but by the most humble, the most laborious, and the most patient… Our Lord told them that, indeed, they would have their share in suffering; but He could not distribute the honors of His Kingdom otherwise than according to the measure of charity and patience of each one in suffering: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Saint James clearly learned the saving correction of his ambition and, from then on, directed all his energy according to the mind and Heart of his Master. He became a most venerable collaborator of Our Lord, faithfully bearing from the gloriously pierced Heart of Christ the graces of truth and love for the salvation of many souls. He became ambitious, no longer for himself, but only for Our Lord.
Saint James the Greater is for us a great teacher and intercessor in following Christ according to our vocation, using the gifts with which God has enriched us to love as Christ loves. We, like Saint James, need purification. We too must walk each day the path of perfection like that of Christ, trusting in the grace poured into our hearts from the gloriously pierced Heart of Jesus, remembering His words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Too often we seek recognition and admiration for the good we do. We want to make sure everyone knows how much we sacrifice and how hard we work. Too often we fall into self-pity and discouragement in the face of the challenges our vocation encounters in a culture marked by widespread secularism. Saint James teaches us that we must have one single concern: to serve our Master with faithful and persevering love, and to trust in His victory over sin and death, in His victory of eternal life, even if our service demands giving our life for love of Him. With Saint Paul, we give ourselves up to death “for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh,” thereby drawing many souls to know, love, and serve Our Lord. We are truly happy when we die more fully to self and to sin, so that others may live more fully and perfectly in Christ.
It was in this way that Saint John Paul II developed The Rule for marriages, the measure by which those called to married life must seek the perfection of the love they promised each other on their wedding day, the path by which they are to respond to the heavenly grace conferred by the sacrament of Matrimony. In his “Reflections on Marriage,” the then-Father Wojtyła teaches us:
The sacrament, as an efficacious sign of grace, creates in nature supernatural forces, forces that make possible the full life of the human being, that is, a life in accordance with the plans and designs of the Creator for humanity. These forces make that life possible for the human person, but they do not bring it about by themselves. It is necessary, therefore, to draw from them all that they contain and apply it to personal life. This is already the task of man, or of the persons who, through the sacrament, enter into the orbit of grace.
The marital covenant and conjugal life, to which nature directs man and woman, participate, through the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, in the victory over sin that Christ won for us on the Cross.
The grace of Holy Matrimony is not an ideal to which only a few attain, but an objective reality, a supernatural gift that leads the man and the woman to seek the eternal salvation of the other through the path of divine love. In the text accompanying The Rule, entitled “Love is the Moral Foundation of Marriage,” the then-Bishop Karol Wojtyła wrote:
We must clearly recognize that the sacramental grace of marriage is not simply a theory, but a true gift from which the spouses can and must build a certain Christian perfection proper to their vocation and to the multiform totality that constitutes their conjugal life…
Christian perfection consists in love. Love is also the moral foundation of marriage. Therefore, marriage opens the possibility of Christian perfection…
Modern man frequently finds himself before this fundamental challenge: you impose on me an unbearable burden and, at the same time, you compare it with that “state of perfection” in which, who knows, it may be easier to live… Above all, this raises the question of whether our whole way of thinking about marriage is not “too low,” while at the same time we demand so much of it. Perhaps it is better to raise the whole question to a much higher level…
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the heavenly Bread of our earthly pilgrimage, by which Our Lord renews His sacrifice of Calvary and in which we unite our hearts to His, gloriously pierced, in the most perfect way possible on this earth, constitutes that higher level of pure and selfless love that sustains married life. All our questions about marriage must be raised at the level of the Eucharistic Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ, at the level of the perfection of divine love.
Inspired by the example of Saint James the Greater and helped by his intercession, let us resolve to take up with new enthusiasm and new energy the spiritual practices by which our hearts remain fully and firmly in the Heart of Jesus for the transformation of the world through the sacrament of Holy Matrimony and its incomparable fruit: the family. Let us be prepared for martyrdom, if not the red martyrdom of blood, certainly the white martyrdom of faithful witness to Our Lord in the face of indifference, mockery, and persecution.
Approaching the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Virgin Mother of God, let us entrust our hearts to Our Lord in His Eucharistic Sacrifice. Let us prepare to receive the incomparable fruit of His Sacrifice: His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. May our hearts, in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, be purified of all sin and inflamed by His pure and selfless love. Thus we may live “always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE