Just hours after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland from leadership of the Diocese of Tyler, this Texas prelate spoke publicly to share his version of events, filling in some gaps in the captivating saga that propelled the former bishop of the small northeast Texas diocese into the global spotlight, while leaving other crucial questions unanswered.
Strickland revealed, in an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews on November 11, conducted shortly after the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had relieved him of the "pastoral governance" of Tyler, why he believes he was removed from office.
"I really can't find any reason except when I threatened some of those in power with the truth of the Gospel," said Strickland, a controversial prelate who regularly speaks out against what he sees as attacks on Catholic Church teaching to his large social media following.
During the interview, Strickland also emphasized that Pope Francis has the authority to relieve him of diocesan governance and frequently encouraged those upset or confused by this development to pray for the Pope and not to leave the Church.
However, this 30-minute media appearance did not answer several key questions in the Strickland saga, such as the Vatican's stated reasons, if any, for this dramatic step, and also, practically, what now awaits the bishop without a diocese. Here is what Strickland had to say, and what remains unanswered.
Why was he removed? Strickland shared that he was asked to resign on November 9, but that he "could not, of his own will, abandon the flock entrusted to him."
This version of events aligns with a November 11 statement from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, as head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province including the Diocese of Tyler.
In his statement, DiNardo said that following an apostolic visitation in June by two American bishops at the Vatican's request, involving "a thorough investigation into all aspects of governance and leadership" of Tyler under Strickland, a recommendation was made to Pope Francis that "the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible."
After months of deliberations, the Texas bishop was presented with a request for his resignation, and "the Holy Father removed Bishop Strickland from the office of Bishop of Tyler" when the prelate refused the request, Cardinal DiNardo wrote.
The findings of the apostolic visitation have not been published, and the Vatican has not revealed why Strickland was removed.
Asked about the reasons for Pope Francis's decision, Strickland said:
"The only answer I have to that is that the forces in the Church today do not want the truth of the Gospel."
He added:
"They want to change it. They want to ignore it."
Strickland did not accuse Pope Francis of being part of this attempt to undermine Church teaching, but he said that "many forces are working against him and influencing him to make these kinds of decisions." For these "forces," the bishop said, "I am a problem," and so they pushed for the "removal of a bishop who stands with the Gospel."
Strickland did not specify what "standing with the Gospel" means, but he was likely alluding to his outspoken and provocative statements on social media platforms and at public events.
For example, Strickland tweeted on May 12 that he rejected what he called Pope Francis's "program of destabilization of the deposit of faith," a provocation, according to media reports, that Vatican figures called "over the line," prompting the apostolic visitation.
He has also repeatedly criticized Pope Francis for a "dangerous" lack of clarity in his statements, particularly regarding sexuality, and has been a vocal critic of Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality.
"Regrettably, it may be that some will label as schismatic those who disagree with the proposed changes," Strickland wrote in a public letter in August. "Instead, those who would propose changes to what cannot be changed seek to seize the Church of Christ, and they are indeed the true schismatics."
Were diocesan governance concerns addressed? However, according to several media reports on the June apostolic visitation and subsequent discussions within the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops, Church officials were also seriously concerned about major issues related to Strickland's governance of the Diocese of Tyler. These concerns reportedly involved significant diocesan staff turnover, the hiring of a controversial former nun as a high school employee, and support for a controversial proposed Catholic community.
Strickland seemed to address these concerns indirectly in his interview with LSN.
"No place is perfect, no family is perfect," he said. "But the diocese is in good shape."
The bishop cited the high number of seminarians in the Diocese of Tyler—21 for a diocese of fewer than 120,000 Catholics—and also emphasized that the diocese was in a strong financial position thanks to the "exceptional generosity of the faithful."
"I am so proud of the priests and the diocese," Strickland said, adding that given what he considers the diocese's success under his leadership, he could identify no other reason for his dismissal than the threat he poses to those trying to change Church teaching.
Was the bishop informed of the reasons for his removal? However, earlier in the day, Strickland seemed to indicate that there may have been more concrete reasons given for the action taken against him.
"I stand by everything that has been listed as complaints against me," he told LSN in a brief article published before his 30-minute interview. "I know I did not implement Traditionis Custodes"—the Pope's 2021 restriction of the traditional Latin Mass—"because I cannot starve a part of my flock."
Taken together, the bishop's responses leave unclear not only why, exactly, Pope Francis ultimately decided to remove him, but also whether Strickland himself was informed of the reason for this decision.
What will he do now? Bishop Strickland acknowledged that he will have to "honestly unpack" what it means to no longer be the Bishop of Tyler and "recalibrate a bit" in terms of what his role as a "successor of the apostles without a local diocese" will look like in the future.
"I don't have the answers right now," Strickland said when asked what the future holds for him. "Lots of questions, lots of empty calendars that will, I'm sure, be filled in different ways."
One possibility is an increase in his engagement far beyond Texas, something the bishop was already doing well before being removed from Tyler's leadership, earning him the title of "America's bishop" among his followers.
For example, Bishop Strickland has over 162,000 followers on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter)—a figure 40,000 higher than the total number of Catholics in his former diocese. He removed all references to the Diocese of Tyler from his account on November 11 and could retain access despite having no diocese.
Bishop Strickland has also accepted invitations to many speaking engagements outside the Diocese of Tyler. For instance, he traveled to California this summer to participate in a rally in response to the Los Angeles Dodgers honoring an anti-Catholic drag organization. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles had condemned the Dodgers' actions but also emphasized that the event Strickland participated in did not have archdiocesan "support or approval."
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It is also unclear where the former Bishop of Tyler will live and how he will receive financial support.
Will he attend the USCCB meeting? A question not addressed in his LSN interview, but of concern to at least some Church observers: Will Strickland, now without a diocese, attend the fall meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which begins on November 14?
While Bishop Strickland has been known to make notable interventions from the floor at previous USCCB assemblies, his presence at a meeting just days after his removal could be a major story—and potentially a significant distraction.
Much uncertainty hangs over Bishop Strickland's future. But, at least from his comments to LSN, prayer will be a large part of it.
"I encourage myself and encourage others to dive deeper than ever into prayer, to pray for Pope Francis, to pray for the Church, and to pray for our world."
This article was originally published in English by Catholic World Report (Article Link). It is republished and translated with the author's permission.