2023-11-11 16:12:00
“The Holy Father has reported to the pastoral government of the diocese of Tyler (United States) Joseph E. Strickland,” the Vatican announced Saturday, November 11 in a press release. The Texan bishop, a prominent conservative who has repeatedly criticized Pope Francis, was thus dismissed by the latter. The rare move to remove a senior Catholic official came after Francis sent two American bishops to visit the diocese of Joseph Strickland in Texas in June.
The Bishop of Austin, Joe Vasquez, has been named apostolic administrator of the diocese, the press release continues without further details. The Vatican has not specified what triggered this summer’s apostolic visit – which Joseph Strickland himself made public – or what conclusions were drawn from it. But Joseph Strickland, appointed by former Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, has been one of Pope Francis’ most prominent critics.
The bishop accused the pope of “undermining the deposit of faith”
The 86-year-old Argentine pope has sought to make the Church more compassionate, open to different points of view. But he has faced stiff opposition from his critics, particularly in the United States, who have accused him of sowing confusion and failing to respect the fundamental beliefs of Catholics.
In a message published at the beginning of the year on X (formerly Twitter), Joseph Strickland accused the pope of “undermining the deposit of faith”. In a blog posted on his website in September, the bishop responded to rumors that the Vatican was encouraging him to resign. “I cannot resign as Bishop of Tyler because to do so would be to abandon the flock in my care,” he wrote. “I also said that I will respect the authority of Pope Francis if he removes me as Bishop of Tyler,” he wrote. “I love Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church he established. My only desire is to speak His truth and live God’s will to the best of my ability,” he wrote.
The Diocese of Tyler announced the Vatican’s decision to remove the bishop on its website Saturday, saying, “Our work as the Catholic Church in Northeast Texas continues. »
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