Raymond Leo Burke (born June 30, 1948) is an American cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He serves as the patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, previously serving as Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, until November 2014.Burke previously served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri (2003–2008) and as the bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (1994–2003). He is a prominent canon lawyer and is often perceived as a voice of conservatism in the Roman Catholic Church and American politics.