Faithful Bishop Sacked by Vatican
The Vatican announced the decision today to remove Bishop Joseph Strickland from his pastoral duties in the Diocese of Tyler, which is located in Texas.
No specific reason was given for the sacking, but it follows after an apostolic visit, wherein the visiting bishops investigated Bp. Strickland’s social media accounts and the diocese’s financial documents.
The apostolic visitation conducted by Bishop Dennis Sullivan and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas, and their recommendation was that the Vatican ask Bp. Strickland for his resignation, which Bp. Strickland refused to do.
If the Vatican wanted Bp. Strickland dismissed from his duties, they would have to take the shot themselves.
Many Catholics, who also identify as politically conservative, view the sacking as a direct attack on Catholics who believe authentic Church teaching, and view the Francis Papacy as politically progressive and believe that Pope Francis and many Cardinals are seeking to undermine Catholic teaching.
This is a dangerous path for one to follow - in the spiritual sense.
As discerning Catholics, it is our responsibility to identify and shine a light on evil. The reason for this is to be able live a holy life, and be able to teach others of any threat that could place their eternal soul at risk.
Unfortunately, many men have entered Holy Orders and were not properly formed, or outright hate Catholic teaching, and have risen to hold high places within the Church.
This has resulted in divergent sub-cultures within the Catholic Church wherein Catholics mold Catholic teaching to fit their political leanings rather than the other way around.
I am not fit to judge the hearts and intentions of the politically progressive who appear to hold the reigns of power in the Papacy, so I will give the most charitable assessment of their goals - it is irrelevant if their intentions are evil, because their actions are damaging enough if we are charitable.
The progressive factions over-emphasizes God’s mercy. In order to operate in a secular world, progressives want the Church to be as accommodating as possible so that more people will enter into the Catholic Church.
The most obvious display that is talked about is homosexuality. For some reason, this sin is treated as a special category that progressives feel needs to be protected.
Rather than helping those struggling with homosexuality to lead a chaste life, advocates for homosexual unions want these relationships to be blessed by clergy.
People forget that homosexuality isn’t the first degradation of Church teaching on marriage. The easy allowance of Catholic couples to divorce and re-marry, rather than lead a chaste life, has resulted in marriages not rooted in a holy, sacramental life.
Because of liberal policies to weaken the laity’s participation in the sacraments, many politically conservatives - sometimes called “Rad Trads” - have lashed out against what they perceive to be a direct attack on Church teaching.
I am probably more politically in the middle, but lean conservative and have spent enough time with conservatives to understand their mindset, which is why I advocate more for reform of conservative Catholics.
Many conservative commentators are running the risk of schism. Even if they don’t formally break from the Papacy, virulent and insulting attacks against the Papacy are a schism in one’s heart.
You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment.
-Matthew 5:21-22
It is not only important, but demanded that conservatives call out evils if they are propagated within the Church. However, this must be done to educate those who are unaware, and not to attack the sinner.
It is unfortunate that laity have no recourse when Church leadership appears to be leading the Faithful towards evil. It can be a frustrating position to be in for many conservatives who know what Truth looks like, but are being oppressed by their own spiritual fathers.
Catholic commentators who speak out against evil run the risk of being scandalized by the evil they are fighting and their righteous anger gets morphed by the demonic to become wrath.
The path to heaven is narrow, and you can fall off the path on either side. Either you embrace evil, or you become evil by not realizing that your pursuit of good has been corrupted.
It takes a strong person to be self-reflective enough to prayerfully consider whether or not they are crossing a line. Many are not mature enough to accept this.
Social media accounts rang out this morning describing Pope Francis as attacking the Church, painting Pope Francis as a wolf attacking the flock, and declaring a war for the Faith.
Is Pope Francis maliciously attacking a Faithful bishop?
It is entirely possible, but I am not in a position to call Pope Francis evil. No member of laity is. We are within our rights to support Bp. Strickland when he advocates for the preborn, and we can ignore any statement made by a given pope, bishop, or priest who advocates for an evil position.
What we cannot do is make pithy remarks or insulting comments against the person. As Catholics, we have to embrace the hard life of hating the sin, while loving the sinner.
At all times, we must respect the human dignity of those who are oppressing us.
Bp. Strickland is most likely facing a “white martyrdom,” wherein he is being punished for practicing the Faith authentically and bravely. If Bp. Strickland responds to this injury by lashing out in rage, then he is falling for the Devil’s snare.
If he prayerfully discerns and accepts his martyrdom, then he can do what any Catholic is allowed to do - live and teach the Faith.
We don’t need a high position to be Catholic. No matter our station in life, we need neither the Church’s nor the government’s permission to be Catholic.
Catholics are called to joyfully embrace martyrdom, no matter the form it takes. We can instruct our peers and children that what Pope Francis has done is wrong - presuming Bp. Strickland hasn’t committed a wrong himself - but our leaders have been placed over us by God Himself.
Pope Francis wasn’t conjured into his position overnight. Over the course of the preceding centuries, men of a Faithful disposition failed or refused to enter into Holy Orders. If good men won’t enter into the priesthood, then those who hate the Faith will enter in order to snatch power and corrupt the Church from within.
We are eating the fruit of the laity’s failure to produce good priests. The only remedy is to raise up good men who can enter into the priesthood and bring the Church back to the narrow path.
Just as a soldier can commit a war crime in a just war, so too can a Catholic can fall to evil in opposing evil.
Do not listen to commentators who swing the pendulum from one extreme to the other. What is necessary is to embrace Truth, love our enemies, and serve God.
