Pope Francis Has Dismissed a Conservative U.S. Bishop

In a brief statement released Saturday on social media, Pope Francis announced the dismissal of conservative Bishop Joseph Strickland of Texas, who has previously repeatedly criticized him. A rare decision in the archbishopric took place on Saturday with the departure of Strickland, who is still 10 years away from the retirement age of bishops. The dismissal comes five months after an inspection in the Texas diocese ordered by the Supreme Pontiff. Despite the diocese becoming vacant, the statement designated Joe Vasquez of Austin as “apostolic administrator.” Five years ago, Strickland affirmed his critical position towards the Argentine pope and, in a statement, joined the accusations of Carlo Maria Viganò, who assured that Francis had knowledge of the abuses perpetrated by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. On that occasion, the bishop went so far as to ask for the resignation of the Catholic leader. At the beginning of 2023, Strickland accused the Supreme Pontiff of “undermining the deposit of faith” through a message on X, and then denied rumors about the Vatican’s request for resignation by stating that he would not resign because “that would mean abandoning the flock under his care.” Canon Law states that a diocese can only become vacant upon “the death of the bishop, resignation accepted by the Roman Pontiff, transfer or deprivation intimated to the bishop.” This morning, Pope Francis held a meeting with Robert Francis Prevost
-prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops-, of which no news transpired.

Original source in Spanish