Pope Francis has eliminated the chief of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, a conservative bishop who grew to become a vocal critic of the pontiff, even accusing him earlier this yr of “undermining” the Catholic religion.
The Vatican made the announcement in a single line on the finish of its Holy See bulletin Saturday, saying that he had been “eliminated” from the “pastoral care of the diocese” and that Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin was appointed as interim apostolic administrator.
In a Might 12 tweet, Bishop Joseph Strickland wrote, “I imagine Pope Francis is the Pope, however it’s time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Religion. Comply with Jesus.”
He additionally grew to become the topic of a Vatican investigation this yr, and he promised on the time that he wouldn’t voluntarily resign.
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Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, was fired by Pope Francis on Saturday. (Andrew D. Brosig/Tyler Morning Telegraph by way of AP/File)
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston stated in an announcement Saturday that the Vatican investigators concluded to the pope “the continuation in workplace of Bishop Strickland was not possible.”
DiNardo added that the pope requested Strickland to resign on Thursday, however he refused.
A bishop’s removing by the pope is awfully uncommon and solely happens when a bishop refuses to resign.
Former Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, resigned earlier this yr amid experiences he mishandled intercourse abuse allegations.
Strickland was appointed to his place by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
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Pope Francis speaks throughout a latest Mass at Rome’s Commonwealth cemetery. (AP Picture/Andrew Medichini)
In 2020, Strickland maintained that the Roman Catholic Church has grow to be “weak” beneath the management of the present pontiff and challenged Francis to fireplace him. He has additionally retweeted a video blasting Pope Francis as a “diabolically disoriented clown,” in line with the Nationwide Catholic Reporter.
Strickland has additionally criticized President Biden on points like abortion.
Strickland informed LifeSiteNews that a part of the rationale he was eliminated was as a result of he refused considered one of Pope Francis’ progressive reforms limiting the outdated Latin Mass.
Strickland stated he refused “as a result of I can’t starve out a part of my flock,” including, “I really feel very a lot at peace within the Lord and the reality that he died for.”
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Michael J. Matt, editor of traditionalist Catholic newspaper The Remnant, referred to as his firing “whole warfare,” on X, previously Twitter.
He added, “Francis is a transparent and current hazard not solely to Catholics the world over but additionally to the entire world itself.”
St. Peter’s Sq., on the Vatican in Vatican Metropolis. (AP Picture/Andrew Medichini/File)
Shortly earlier than his removing Saturday, the bishop wrote on X, “Rejoice all the time that…it doesn’t matter what the day brings Jesus Christ is the Method, the Fact and the Life, yesterday, right this moment and eternally. Might the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary all the time encourage us to return to Christ regardless of how we could wander into darkness. Jesus is Mild from Mild.”
Francis slammed the “backwardness” of some conservative Catholic leaders within the U.S. whereas talking to Portuguese Jesuits in August, saying that that they had changed religion with political ideology and {that a} right understanding of Church doctrine on points like abortion and same-sex marriage permits for change over time.
The Diocese of Tyler introduced his removing in an announcement Saturday, including that its work would proceed.
“Our mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to foster an genuine Christian neighborhood, and to serve the wants of all folks with compassion and love,” the assertion stated.
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Fox Information Digital has reached out to the Catholic diocese in Tyler for remark.
Fox Information’ Jon Brown, the Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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