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ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Archbishop Raymond Burke, whose outsized personality tangled with celebrities and politicians over Catholic teaching, was named Friday as the first American to lead the Vatican supreme court.

The move for Burke, a church law expert, is likely to elevate this most outspoken of conservative U.S. bishops, to cardinal. The supreme court is traditionally headed by a cardinal.

In his 4 1/2 years here, Burke has battled with singer Sheryl Crow, popular college basketball coach Rick Majerus, and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry over their support for abortion rights.

Burke's tussles with those public figures drew attention to the archdiocese, which seemed to surprise the affable church man, who grew up in rural Wisconsin.

"I've been frustrated, and bothered that the impression of me has been quite negative ... as unpleasant, arrogant," Burke said Friday, reflecting on his time here. "I've tried to be a good shepherd for the flock."

Roman Catholics in St. Louis clearly are split between those who are glad and those who are sorry he's going.

Some see him as a champion of orthodoxy who represents a refreshing return to church values. Others view him as sorely lacking as a pastor, an unbending stickler for the letter of the law. His targets said he fought them using arcane, medieval church codes they could barely decipher.

"I've been getting phone calls since 6 o'clock this morning from parishioners singing 'Ding, dong, the archbishop is gone,"' said the Rev. Marek Bozek, who, along with his parish board, were excommunicated by Burke after a long-simmering dispute over control of St. Stanislaus Kostka's assets.

Burke also excommunicated three women for participating in a women's ordination that is forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church.

"Catholics in St. Louis are exhausted after 4 1/2 years of constant scandal and control by Archbishop Burke," Bozek added.

Yet, other Catholics defended Burke, who turns 60 on Monday.

"We're sad about it," said the Rev. Karl Lenhardt, who was invited here by Burke to establish a place where the Latin Mass could be celebrated. "But we are convinced that work in his new capacity will be good for the universal church. We can't be surprised that the Holy Father has called him."

Burke's new appointment shows that Pope Benedict XVI has a great amount of respect for U.S. bishops, said the Rev. Thomas Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

It comes on the heels of Benedict's naming William Joseph Cardinal Levada, former archbishop of San Francisco and Portland, Ore., as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"This is more power than Americans have ever had in Rome," Reese said.

Burke said he would move to Rome in late August to head the supreme court, which resolves jurisdictional disputes among various Vatican tribunals and hears procedural appeals on annulments.

Benedict and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, have complained for years that local tribunals grant an excessive number of annulments.

Reese said the court has a very narrow focus on procedural issues and rarely tackles substantive issues.

In 2004, Burke caused a stir by saying he would deny Communion to Kerry because of the Massachusetts senator's stance supporting abortion rights.

Last year, Burke indicated he would so the same for then-Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani. He also protested Crow's appearance at a benefit for a Catholic children's hospital over her support for embryonic stem cell research.

In January, Burke called on Saint Louis University, a Jesuit school, to discipline Majerus for publicly supporting abortion rights.

"Every pro-choice Catholic Democrat politician should be very nervous," Reese said. "He made his name in the U.S. by denying Communion to pro-choice politicians.

"If he gets that view articulated strongly in Rome, he could become the voice for having that position for the universal church."

Bozek, the Polish priest, said Burke could well be on his way to a future papacy.

"With this office, he will be named cardinal in the very near future, and as cardinal he will have the chance to run for pope two or three times in his lifetime," he said.

"He may well become the first American pope."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Couldn't he have left sooner? The U.S. will be a better place without him! He really should look into becoming a politician. It would be a perfect fit for him.

Good riddence. Maybe now I can get my family back into our Catholic religion.

He'll be great in the supreme court. He tends to see things as only black and white. The world is may shades of grey.
I congratulate him on his promotion... but St. Louis will be better without him.

Short sweet and to the point: GOOD RIDDANCE!

Organized Religion is a lot like politics, corrupt through and through. I believe in something, but I don't push it on anyone. I praise things when they go right, and curse things when they don't. I don't need a hierarchy to tell me what or how to pray.

He is well suited for this. Good luck!

Its too bad Archbishop Burke had to subjugate St. Louis as a stepping stone to Rome. He has caused many Catholics to question their commitment and drop out of the church. Many of other faiths were probably happy they are with their churches.Unfortunately, from Rome he can cause world-wide damage to Catholics.

I do not think that you should refer to 'Mr. Bozek' as a priest. What part of his vow of obediance is 'arcane' and not understood by most Catholics? Archbishop Burke was correct with his dealings with 'renegade' Catholics, Polish or otherwise.

Thank God this arrogant jerk is gone. Many people have been praying for four years that he would be ransferred, and God has finally heard our prayers.

St. Louis finally realized what "Commandment" meant instead of suggestion. And Thank God we had Archbishop Burke here to teach us. He enforced the commandments as given to us by God, for that is what he is, a man of God. Too bad that all these unhappy people of St. Louis who are glad he is gone still think that God gave us "suggestions". There is no such thing as a moderate or liberal or conservative catholic. You either are following the Church as Christ intended, which makes you Catholic, or you are not, which makes you NOT Catholic. God Bless You Archbishop Burke in your new role for the Catholic Church. May St.Louis be blessed with another bishop as loyal to The Church as you.

another station's web poll is saying 63% are glad he is going less than 8% are glad he is staying and the rest have no opinion. This is out of 1120 votes cast.

The brothers of the patriarch Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred Thomas More
We are losing a wonderful, pastoral archbishop unafraid to teach and uphold the Catholic faith here in Saint Louis. Recall the above quote when you read the diatribes against this holy man.

Glad he's leaving St Louis, he protected enough pedifiles here. A true Hipocrit of the Church and this is coming from a Catholic

I believe it will suit him well.

I am very happy for the Archbishop. This prestigous appointment is a testament by our Holy Father to the deligent job the Archbishop has done. He performed his responsibilities faithfully, in the face of hateful oppositionsheparding the people of STL in The Way of Truth. It's a shame so many WHO CALL themselves Catholic can not handle the Truth and are so irreverent to a holy man of God who was rightfully doing what he was commissioned to do.
I wish him many blessings and thank him for the fatherly love he's given to the people of this Archdiocese.

Nope. The people of St. Stanislaus and their priest have removed themselves from the Church by their actions. Doesn't matter who is bishop. It is their actions that have excommunicated them.
I agree, with one of the previous writers -- look at all the great seminarians Archbishop Burke has helped to bring to the seminary. St. Louis will benefit for decades from having Archbishop Burke here just 5 years!!!

About time he went somewhere else and cause problems. St Louis has had enough already.

Glad he is going!

What great news! What a fantastic kick-off for the weekend. As they are saying, don't let the door hit you on your way out!!!!!!!!!

I hate to be critical, but I am glad to see him go. It disappoints me that he's getting a promotion and will probably be a Cardinal soon because I don't think he has earned that honor. He has hurt more people than he has comforted, and he has lost his way as a man of God.