The Conspiratorial Cardinal

A rough timeline of the relationship between Cardinal Burke, Covid, and the pandemic’s conspiracy theories.



March 21, 2020: the start of the pandemic



He also says, “In combatting the evil of the coronavirus, our most effective weapon is, therefore, our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance, and devotions and sacred worship.”






September 30, 2020







December 17, 2020: the Vatican speaks


January 1, 2021: conspiracy theory #3 (the one-world government)

In his homily for the Feast of the Epiphany, Burke says:

“It seems, in fact, that universal vaccination is a significant first step towards achieving a one-world government.”

There is nothing “in fact” to support the theory that vaccine mandates are intended or tend to lead to a “one-world government.” This seems to be Burke’s elaboration on some version of the “Great Reset” conspiracy theory.

Burke also argues that the decision to take vaccines should not be mandated and should be subject to personal choice. He criticizes the view that “vaccination is imposed on us by the very charity of Christ,” emphasizing that personal choice should be the primary determinator for whether one is vaccinated. And he continues to refer to COVID as the “Wuhan virus,” a term associated with increased violence against Asian Americans.

January 10, 2021: the Pope speaks


July 10, 2021: contra the Pope




August 2021: the Cardinal’s conference

But the Cardinal goes further in disregarding these “prudent means.” He helps lead a conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. At Mass, cards in the pews state that communion must be received on the tongue. In addition, there is a sign above the holy water fonts asking attendees to use them, as they have “a special blessing against contagious viruses.” These were probably his decisions, as he was the conference sponsor and highest-ranking cleric. He later becomes one of the many attendees of the conference to test positive for Covid.

After the conference, he then celebrates a Pontifical High Mass at the Shrine and a Confirmation in Wausau, Wisconsin, unwittingly exposing more people to Covid. (Presumably, he requires attendees who wished to receive communion to allow him to stick his hands in their mouths). He then travels to the Twin Cities to stay with a friend.

August 10, 2021: testing positive

Rumors start to come out that Cardinal Burke is gravely ill, but a communication from that friend says that he just had a “sinus infection” and “HAS NOT been diagnosed with Covid.” The communication expresses no concern to warn people that they may also be ill or have been exposed to the virus by or with the Cardinal. What the Cardinal and his friend are most worried about, apparently, is trying to “put an end to the rumors.”

Later that day the Cardinal himself announces that he has tested positive for the virus. He says he is "resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care."

But then later that night, a posting in the Sisters of the Franciscan Congregation of Divine Mercy Facebook group asks for prayers. It says that Burke is "developing blood clots and they expect tonight is going to be a very rough night for him."

August 11, 2021

Catholic Culture reports that Burke "has downplayed reports that he is gravely ill."

August 14, 2021

The Cardinal’s Twitter account shares that he has been admitted to the hospital and “is being assisted by a ventilator.”


We should pray for the Cardinal. I don't want any more people to die from Covid, even people who refused to follow best practices or who contributed to misinformation campaigns. At the same time, I am astounded that no one at any of the events presided over by the Cardinal while he had or contracted Covid has been warned about or received an apology for exposure. To my knowledge, no announcements have been made. In addition, over the course of the pandemic, Cardinal Burke has attended large events without wearing a mask, including the recent conference.

This is a bad state for Catholicism. I often come back to Augustine’s argument why Christians should be careful not to spread false scientific theories. Augustine warns that if non-Christians “find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well… how are they going to believe those books [in our Scripture] in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven?”

If Christians boldly spread demonstrably false scientific claims, why would non-Christians trust our religious claims? And if non-Christians can’t trust us to take easy and obvious steps to care for their bodies, why would they entrust us to take care of their souls? It’s a scandal that lends credibility to atheism.

Catholics can respond by acting as leaders in providing good information and being proactive in charitably clarifying when falsehoods arise. That’s why I think it’s important to acknowledge it when even our Cardinals become mouthpieces for deadly ridiculousness.

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The theory failed to notice that American capitalism already led to a single national economy controlled by elites who have concentrated their power, increased unemployment, destroyed non-national businesses, decreased wages, and censored the national citizenry