A Texas Catholic Bishop has been removed by the Vatican. Texas Public Radio ’s Jerry Clayton has more.
Joseph Strickland is an outspoken conservative bishop who served in Tyler in East Texas. He was asked to resign after an inquiry by a committee of U.S. Bishops. Strickland refused to resign and was then removed by the Pope. The controversial bishop openly opposed the reforms of Pope Francis, complaining about the church’s moves to make Catholicism more inclusive for the LGBTQ community and divorced Catholics. Strickland also spoke out against women’s expanding roles in the ministry and has been a vocal supporter of former president Donald Trump. The Bishop of Austin, Texas has been appointed to temporarily replace Strickland. I’m Jerry Clayton in San Antonio.
The Catholic Diocese of Tyler includes communities in Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, Rains, and Van Zandt counties. Parishes in the KETR listening area include Our Lady of Victory in Paris, St. James in Sulphur Springs, St. John the Evangelist in Emory, and St. Luke in Wills Point. Parishes in Fannin, Hunt, and Kaufman counties are in the Diocese of Dallas.
