In very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative U.S. bishop

Pope Francis on Saturday dismissed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of his fiercest critics among U.S. Roman Catholic conservatives, after he refused to step down following a Vatican investigation.

It is very rare for a bishop to be relieved of his duties outright. Usually bishops in trouble with the Vatican are asked to resign before submitting a resignation, which the pope accepts.

Popes make such moves, considered drastic, when a bishop refuses a request to resign. Strickland is 65, 10 years shy of the usual retirement age for bishops.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said in a statement that Strickland was asked to resign on Nov. 9 but refused.

Strickland, a prolific user of social media who was named to the diocese by the late Pope Benedict in 2012, tweeted earlier this year that he rejected Pope Francis’ “program undermining the Deposit of Faith.”

He has been particularly critical of the pope’s attempt to make the Church more welcoming to the LGBTQ community and attempts by Francis to give lay people more responsibility in the Church and opposed a recent synod.

The Vatican statement on Saturday announcing the dismissal gave no reason.

Strickland indicated in an interview with the ultra-conservative website LifeSiteNews that one reason was his refusal to implement Vatican directives to restrict the use of the old-style Latin Mass favoured by some conservatives.

“I stand by all the things that were listed as complaints against me … I’d do it the same way again. I feel very much at peace in the Lord and the truth that he died for.” Strickland said.