Harrison Butker delivered the commencement speech at Benedictine College yesterday

“The theme for tonight’s gala, ‘Courage Under Fire,’ was decided many months ago, but it now seems providential that this would be the theme after what we have all witnessed these past two weeks,” he said. “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now. Over the past few days, my beliefs or what people think I believe have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe.”

Butker noted that his “beliefs” were received with a “shocking level of hate” and it was very different from the criticism he receives on the field.

“The more I’ve talked about what I value most, which is my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I have become. It’s a decision I’ve consciously made, and one I do not regret at all,” he said.

In his controversial speech, Butker asserted that his wife’s life “really started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”

Aside from online outrage, his comments also drew criticism from a group of nuns associated with Benedictine College,