Pope Francis has removed popular Tyler, Texas Bishop Joseph E. Strickland for officially undisclosed reasons. There has been quite a bit of back-and-forth between the Pope and Bishop Strickland. The Catholic Church under Pope Francis’s leadership has undergone some changes that Bishop Strickland did not necessarily approve of. Joseph Strickland is very popular on social media, with over 150,000 followers on Twitter. He has also tipped his toe into the world of politics, aligning himself with conservative Trump supporters. This move, of course, upset many people in the Church.
The Bishop has written a series of letters over the past few months that have been heavily critical of not only the Pope himself but also of the Church. Some of these letters have been direct and personal attacks against the Pope. So, although the reasons for Strickland’s dismissal have not been officially disclosed, it is not difficult to tell why this may have happened.
SOURCES:
In very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US bishop Strickland | Reuters
Vatican removes prominent Texas conservative Bishop Joseph Strickland – The Washington Post
Pope dismisses conservative Tyler bishop Joseph Strickland | cbs19.tv
Pope Francis sacks critic Bishop John Strickland
Pope Francis Ousts Conservative Texas Bishop After Frequent Attacks
