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John J. Burke (1875–1936) was a 
A central point of Burke's writing and lecturing concerned the supernatural element of charity. Burke told the 1915 graduating class of New York's
Paulist
Paulists, or Paulines, is the name used for Roman Catholic orders and congregations under the patronage of Paul of Thebes the First Hermit. From the time that the abode and virtues of Paul of Thebes were revealed to Antony the Abbot, various comm ...
priest and editor of the Catholic World from 1903 to 1922.
A central point of Burke's writing and lecturing concerned the supernatural element of charity. Burke told the 1915 graduating class of New York's College of Mount Saint Vincent
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
-on-Hudson that, for two millennia, the Church has pursued as her "one great purpose" to lead souls to the love of God. "Whatever other claims she makes as to her mission," he insisted, "are at best but secondary."
Burke warned Catholics about the modern superstition that "experts in the social sciences might well be trusted with our social betterment," a view that encouraged the trend towards making of religion "a private and an almost secret matter."
National Catholic War Council
Burke was the main force behind the creation of the National Catholic War Council. Burke had long argued for a national outlook and sense of unity among the country's Catholics. In 1917, with the backing of CardinalJames Gibbons
James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as ninth ...
and other bishops, Burke called for a meeting of Catholic representatives from across the country at Catholic University to establish a National Catholic War Council.
Burke was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
by the U.S. War Department for his service as chairman of the Committee on Special War Activities (CSWA) of the National Catholic War Council.
When the National Catholic Welfare Council superseded the National Catholic War Council, Burke was appointed its general secretary.
Cristero War
In 1929, Archbishop Pietro Fumasoni-Biondi, apostolic delegate to the United States, named Burke his agent in matters pertaining to the Mexican religious conflict known as theCristero War
The Cristero War ( es, Guerra Cristera), also known as the Cristero Rebellion or es, La Cristiada, label=none, italics=no , was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico from 1 August 1926 to 21 June 1929 in response to the implementa ...
. Burke worked closely with Dwight Whitney Morrow
Dwight Whitney Morrow (January 11, 1873October 5, 1931) was an American businessman, diplomat, and politician, best known as the U.S. ambassador who improved U.S.-Mexican relations, mediating the religious conflict in Mexico known as the Cristero ...
, the US ambassador to Mexico, to broker an end to the conflict.
References
External links
* 1875 births 1936 deaths American Roman Catholic priests {{RC-clergy-stub