Rare move comes after years of criticism from Strickland, a strong supporter of former US president Donald Trump
Pope Francis has dismissed a bishop in Texas, Joseph Strickland, one of his fiercest critics among US Roman Catholic conservatives, the Vatican has said.
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.
A pope only makes such a move when a bishop refuses a request to resign and is considered drastic. Strickland is 65, 10 years shy of the usual retirement age for bishops. Strickland had said earlier this year that he would refuse to resign if asked.
Strickland, a prolific user of social media who was named to the diocese by the late pope, Benedict XVI in 2012, tweeted earlier this year that he rejected Francis’ “program undermining the Deposit of Faith”.
He has been particularly critical of the pontiff’s attempt to make the Catholic 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.
