Bishop Strickland Calls for 'Respectful' Procession Amid Anger Towards Pope

A conservative bishop who was dismissed by Pope Francis has called for an upcoming march to show support for him to be peaceful.

In a brief statement on Saturday, the Vatican said Francis had removed Bishop Joseph Strickland of the pastoral governance of Tyler, Texas, and appointed the bishop of Austin as the temporary administrator.

Strickland has been a vocal critic of Francis in recent months, particularly of the pope's attempt to make the church more welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. He accused the pope on social media earlier this year of "undermining the deposit of faith."

Francis in August called out the "backwardness" of some Catholic conservatives in the U.S., saying that they had replaced faith with political ideology.

Strickland's firing following a Vatican investigation sparked an immediate outcry and thousands have signed a petition backing him.

On Sunday, Catholic group Knights of the Republic announced a march in Tyler on Saturday to show support for Strickland.

"Our Order requests that all Knights and faithful Catholics join their hearts in prayer through the Holy Rosary on Saturday," a spokesperson for Knights of the Republic told Newsweek. "The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, many decades ago, proclaimed that it would be the laity who would save the Church. We must answer that call and pilgrimage to Tyler, TX. Unite with the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pray for the Church. Pray for the good Bishop."

"I pray that this effort is prayerful, respectful and focused on Jesus," Strickland wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"He is the only support I need and I feel the profound embrace of His Sacred Heart. I appreciate the vigorous faith this is inspired by but please remember I am nothing, Jesus is everything. Viva Cristo Rey!"

Newsweek has contacted Strickland for comment via social media.

The Vatican's brief statement did not give a reason for Strickland's dismissal. But Strickland told the conservative website LifeSiteNews on Saturday that one of the reasons was his refusal to implement Francis' 2021 restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass.

"I stand by all the things that were listed as complaints against me," he told the website, adding that he refused to implement the restrictions because "I can't starve out part of my flock."

He added: "I'd do it the same way again. I feel very much at peace in the Lord and the truth that he died for."

The Vatican has been contacted for comment via email.

Earlier this year, the Vatican sent in investigators to look into Strickland's governance of the diocese. Catholic media outlets reported that the investigation included a review of his handling of financial affairs.

The two Vatican investigators sent in to investigate Strickland "conducted an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the diocese," Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said in a statement.

The Vatican did not release the findings of the investigation, but DiNardo said the recommendation was made to Francis that "the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible.

"After months of careful consideration by the dicastery for Bishops and the holy father, the decision was reached that the resignation of Bishop Strickland should be requested.

"Having been presented with that request on November 9, 2023, Bishop Strickland declined to resign from office. Thereafter, on November 11, 2023, the pope removed Bishop Strickland from the office of bishop of Tyler."

The diocese of Tyler confirmed Strickland's removal in a statement on Saturday.

"Our work as the Catholic church in northeast Texas continues," the statement said. "Our mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to foster an authentic Christian community, and to serve the needs of all people with compassion and love."

Update 11/14/23, 6:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Knights of the Republic.