Pope Francis Removes Bishop Strickland for Criticizing Vatican’s Stance on Faith
The Holy See Press Office recently announced that Pope Francis has relieved Bishop Joseph E. Strickland from his pastoral governance of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. Simultaneously, the Pope appointed Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, as the apostolic administrator to oversee the diocese until a new bishop is appointed.
Speculation about Bishop Strickland’s future in the diocese has been swirling for months, stemming from his criticism of the Vatican’s stance on faith. This criticism became evident when he posted on Twitter on May 12, accusing Pope Francis of undermining the deposit of faith.
The Pope’s decision to remove Bishop Strickland came after the bishop’s address at a public gathering in Rome on October 31. During this event, he read from a lengthy letter attributed to a dear friend, which accused Pope Francis of being a usurper of Peter’s chair and supporting an attack on the sacred coming out of the Vatican.
This speculation about Bishop Strickland’s future was further fueled by an apostolic visitation of the Diocese of Tyler conducted by retired Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, and Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan of Camden, New Jersey, in June.
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, released a statement on Bishop Strickland’s removal, explaining that the request for his resignation came after an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the Tyler Diocese. The Dicastery for Bishops and the Holy Father carefully considered the recommendation, leading to the decision to remove Bishop Strickland from the Office of Bishop of Tyler.
Bishop Strickland had previously expressed his unwillingness to resign willingly from office but stated that he would respect Pope Francis’ authority if removed. Many connected the apostolic visitation to Bishop Strickland’s vocal criticisms of the Pope and other Church prelates, particularly on Twitter, where he has a significant following.
The Rome Life Forum held on October 31, sponsored by LifeSiteNews, further intensified the situation. Bishop Strickland gave a public address during which he read from the letter that accused Pope Francis of being an expert at producing cowards and questioned his validity as the successor of St. Peter.
Following the Pope’s decision to remove him, Bishop Strickland did not mention his removal directly on social media. However, on November 11, he posted a message urging his followers to rejoice in the eternal truth of Jesus Christ.
Bishop Strickland, who was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas in 1985, has been ministering in northeast Texas since the Diocese of Tyler was founded in 1987. He has led the diocese since his ordination as bishop in 2012.
The bishop gained prominence in 2018 when he publicly supported accusations made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò implicating Pope Francis and other prelates in the scandals surrounding Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop Strickland also criticized the Vatican’s moral defense of available vaccines.
The transition from Bishop Strickland to Bishop Vásquez as the apostolic administrator has been announced by the Diocese of Tyler, ensuring the continuation of the Catholic Church’s work in northeast Texas.
This recent development highlights the ongoing tensions and disagreements within the Catholic Church regarding various theological and administrative matters. The removal of Bishop Strickland and the appointment of Bishop Vásquez further exemplify the challenges faced by Pope Francis in navigating internal divisions and maintaining unity within the Church.
