Pope Francis has fired a conservative Texas bishop who has publicly spoken out against the Pope's inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in the Catholic Church.
According to announcement by the Vatican on November 11, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Eastern Texas has been "relieved" of his position as head of the Diocese of Tyler.
Strickland has been outspoken in his disapproval over Pope Francis' views that the Catholic Church should be more welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community—and most recently that transgender Catholics can be baptized, serve as godparents and witness marriages.
Strickland has referred to this movement as a "travesty" that "[undermines] the Deposit of Faith" and called the Pope a “diabolically disordered clown."
He had also stated:
“Regrettably, it may be that some will label as schismatics those who disagree with the changes being proposed."
“Instead, those who would propose changes to that which cannot be changed seek to commandeer Christ’s Church.”
The conservative bishop was presented with a request to resign on November 9 but refused, resulting in him being "relieved" of his position by the Pope.
People online celebrated the Pope's decision...
...with some exceptions, of course...
Joe S. Vasquez, Roman Catholic bishop of Austin, Texas, was appointed as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Tyler by Pope Francis on Saturday after Strickland's release.
In a statement regarding the announcement of Strickland's removal, Cardinal Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, said that after investigating “all aspects of the governance and leadership," they found Strickland's continuation of his position "unfeasible."
“The recommendation was made to the Holy Father that the continuation of Bishop Strickland was not feasible."
“Let us keep Bishop Strickland, the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Tyler and Bishop Vásquez, in our prayers.”
Thoughts and prayers, indeed.
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