TYLER, Texas — In his first statement since his removal, ousted Diocese of Tyler Bishop Joseph Strickland said his dismissal was related to him speaking "the Truth of (the) Catholic faith" and his defense of its unchangeable teachings to protect his flock.
Strickland was removed as the bishop of Tyler on Saturday, Nov. 11 by Pope Francis. Bishop Joe Vasquez, of Austin, was appointed as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Tyler.
Since getting dismissed from his leadership position, he has remained fairly silent until he issued on an open letter on his website, bishopstrickland.com, Monday.
In the statement, Strickland said he met with the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and was read a list of reasons for his ousting. He said that he asked for a copy of the list but has not received one yet.
Strickland also said none of the reasons for his removal claimed there were administrative problems or mismanagement of the Diocese of Tyler.
Strickland added there was mention of him not walking alongside his fellow bishops as Strickland defended the "unchangeable teachings" of the church.
According to the Associated Press, Strickland has been critical of Pope Francis, accusing him in a tweet of undermining the deposit of faith.” Strickland was also critical of Francis' recent meeting on the future of the Catholic Church when hot-button issues were discussed, including ways to welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics.
"As a shepherd and protector of my Diocese, I could not take actions which I knew with certainty would injure part of my flock and deprive them of the spiritual goods which Christ entrusted to His Church," Strickland said in the letter. "I stand by my actions as they were necessary to protect my flock and to defend the Sacred Deposit of Faith."
Strickland said his main offense seems to have been bringing light to what other people wanted hidden.
"In fact, it was in a time when things were being hidden regarding disgraced now-former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and the Church sex abuse scandal that it seems I first entered the Vatican’s radar. My main crime, then as now, seems to always have been about bringing to light that which others wanted to remain hidden," Strickland said.
While he no longer leads the Diocese of Tyler, Strickland told his followers he is still a bishop and he will continue to speak truth even if it requires his life. He encouraged Catholics to never leave the church and fight the good fight until the end.
"She (the church) is the Bride of Christ! She is now undergoing her passion, and you must resolve to stand resolutely at the cross," Strickland said. "It is important to attend Mass every Sunday and as often as possible, to spend time in adoration, to pray the Rosary daily, to go to confession regularly, and to call always upon the saints for assistance!"
Strickland on Tuesday launched a YouTube channel to "share the truth, joy and love of Jesus Christ through personal reflections on the Good News of the Gospel and the Sacred Deposit of Faith found in the Catholic Church." In the announcement video, he labeled himself Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler.
Earlier this month, a Catholic cardinal out of Houston said a visitation by two bishops in June found the continuation of Strickland's leadership to be "not feasible." After that visit, the Dicastery for Bishops and Pope Francis gave months of careful considered and came to the decision to ask for Strickland's resignation, which was done on Thursday, Nov. 9.
Strickland then declined to resign and two days later, Pope Francis removed Strickland from the Office of Bishop of Tyler.
In a blog post shared in September, Strickland shared he would not resign as Bishop of Tyler because that would be "abandoning the flock that I was given charge of by Pope Benedict XVI." However, he said he would respect Francis' authority if he removed him from office.