Pope Francis has relieved Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of his pastoral responsibilities in the diocese of Tyler, Texas. In his place, Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin has been appointed as the apostolic administrator for the diocese, thereby leaving it sede vacante.
This decision follows an apostolic investigation, in Vatican terms called a visitation, initiated by the Pope in June within the Diocese of Tyler. The visitation was conducted by two US bishops, namely Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson.
Cardinal Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, issued a statement highlighting that Bishop Dennis Sullivan and Bishop Gerald Kicanas carried out a thorough investigation into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the Diocese of Tyler under Bishop Joseph Strickland.
The statement explains that, based on the findings of the visitation, a recommendation was made to the Holy Father suggesting that Bishop Strickland’s continuation in office was not feasible. Following careful deliberation by the Dicastery for Bishops and the Holy Father, it was decided that Bishop Strickland should be asked to resign. The Bishop declined this request on November 9, 2023, leading Pope Francis to make the decision to forcibly remove him from office, something that is resorted to only in rare cases of intransigence.
Strickland had insisted he wouldn’t resign voluntarily, saying in media interviews that he was given a mandate to serve by the late Pope Benedict XVI and couldn’t abdicate that responsibility. He had also complained that he hadn’t been told what exactly the pope’s investigators were looking into.
The conservative Strickland, 65, has been a leading critic of Francis, accusing him in a tweet earlier this year of “undermining the deposit of faith.” He has been particularly critical of Francis’ handling of hot-button issues such as ways to better welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics.
As the Diocese of Tyler awaits more permanent arrangements, Cardinal DiNardo announced that Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin has been appointed as the Apostolic Administrator for the diocese. Cardinal DiNardo concluded his statement by urging prayers for Bishop Strickland, the clergy, and the faithful of the Diocese of Tyler, as well as for Bishop Vasquez.
Strickland has come to be the standard bearer of the conservative faction. His firing sparked an immediate outcry among some conservatives and traditionalists who see him in clear opposition to the liberal Pope and his more progressive reforms.
Michael J. Matt, editor of the traditionalist newspaper The Remnant, wrote that with the firing, Francis was “actively trying to bury fidelity to the Church of Jesus Christ.”
“This is total war,” Matt wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Francis is a clear and present danger not only to Catholics the world over but also to the whole world itself.”
