If you look up the cliche “Is the Pope Catholic?” online, you will find several ways of stating the obvious.
As for me, I like this offering from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus: This is a response “used to say that the answer to a question you have just been asked is obviously ’yes’.”
At this point, it is safe to say that Pope Francis wants the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (these men in particular) to know that the answer is “yes.” He also wants them to know that — when it comes to worship and doctrine — he believes that he, and he alone, gets to decide the meaning of the word “Catholic.”
Oh, and Pope Francis gets to decide the “Catholic” status of German bishops who are marching forward on blessing same-sex relationships. Ditto for progressive Bishop Robert W. McElroy of (tiny) San Diego, who is now a cardinal, and conservative Archbishop Jose Gomez of (massive) Los Angeles, who is not. Pope Francis gets to judge the “Catholic” status of President Joe Biden and Jesuit social-media maven Father James Martin (watch for new photo opportunities).
In other words, the Donald Trumpian “You’re fired!” message that Pope Francis sent to Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler isn’t about one loud Texan. What matters in Catholic life, right now, is who gets promoted (in various ways) and who gets punished. Actions matter more than mere words.
If religion-news consumers want to know what happened in the Strickland case, they can turn to the Vatican to know what progressive Catholics are saying and to the Catholic press to learn what conservative Catholics are saying (and what candid progressives are saying in response).
That’s true, but it appears seems a few reporters are learning how to handle both halves of that equation. I say that in praise of the solid Associated Press story — “Pope Francis removes a leading US conservative critic as bishop of Tyler, Texas“ — that is running in newspapers far and wide. Let’s walk through a some key passages:
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday ordered the removal of the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a conservative prelate active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and has come to symbolize the polarization within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy.
Bingo. The U.S. Catholic bishops — who gather today in Baltimore — go in the lede.
Strickland, 65, has emerged as a leading critic of Francis, accusing him in a tweet earlier this year of “undermining the deposit of faith.” He has been particularly critical of Francis’ recent meeting on the future of the Catholic Church during which hot-button issues were discussed, including ways to better welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics.
In other words, Strickland has been openly saying that Pope Francis wants to change Catholic doctrines — with actions, more than changing doctrines (which can be redefined with pastoral policies that blur the specifics). That are the key issues? Most focus on the Sexual Revolution.
Why was Strickland fired? The Vatican doesn’t really have to say.
Earlier this year, the Vatican sent in investigators to look into his governance of the diocese, amid reports that priests and laypeople in Tyler had complained and that he was making unorthodox claims.
The Vatican never released the findings and Strickland had insisted he wouldn’t resign voluntarily, saying in media interviews that he was given a mandate to serve as bishop in 2012 by the late Pope Benedict XVI and couldn’t abdicate that responsibility.
Note the interesting use of the word “unorthodox.” Again, “Is the pope Catholic?”
Now, what does Strickland say? Reporters might want to give him a call. However, there are other options. Such as:
The conservative website LifeSiteNews, which said it interviewed Strickland on Saturday, quoted him as saying one of the reasons given for his ouster was his refusal to implement Francis’ 2021 restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass.
Reporters: What are the facts on the ground?
Heed social media, but also try burning some shoe leather. What parishes in greater Tyler are growing and which ones are shrinking or are in a “business as usual” mode? Does this have anything to do with who speaks out against the Strickland decision and those who support Rome’s decision? Are there tensions over the Latin Mass?
For example:
It is rare for the pope to remove a bishop from office. Bishops are required to offer to resign when they reach 75. When the Vatican uncovers issues with governance or other problems that require a bishop to leave office before then, the Vatican usually seeks to pressure him to offer to resign for the good of his diocese and the church.
That was the case when another U.S. bishop was forced out earlier this year following a Vatican investigation. Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tenn., resigned voluntarily, albeit under pressure, following allegations he mishandled sex abuse allegations and his priests complained about his leadership and behavior.
Ah, that is an interesting case (here in my own East Tennessee backyard). In the Stika fight, it was interesting to note that his critics included Catholics across the doctrinal spectrum, including the kinds of folks who read (and may telephone) The Pillar. How balanced is the Strickland criticism, in terms of debates about Catholic life and worship?
Now, it’s true that Bishop Strickland has openly taunting the pope, in digital locations that are easy to find and quote. CNN noted:
CNN previously reported that Strickland was so agitated over Biden’s victory in 2020 that when the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement with congratulations on his win, he tweeted, “A dark cloud has descended on this nation when the USCCB and Planned Parenthood speak in unison in support of a Biden-Harris administration that supports the slaughter of innocents by abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.”
Reporters can try — again, no one on the Catholic left needs to talk right now — if there are any ties between U.S. cardinals who are active members of Team Francis and those who carried the Bishop Strickland case to the higher circles of Vatican power.
Note this from The Pillar:
The bishop’s removal from office comes two months, to the day, after The Pillar reported that senior cardinals had recommended to Pope Francis that Strickland be pressured to resign leadership of his see following an apostolic visitation of the Tyler diocese earlier this year.
In a May post, the bishop said that he believed that Pope Francis is the pope, “but it is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith.”
What to ignore? That would be this Reuters angle:
Strickland had become one of the most vocal standard bearers of the ultra-conservative wing of the U.S. Church and has a national following far beyond the small diocese of Tyler in eastern Texas.
Last August, the pope lamented what he called a "reactionary" Catholic Church in the United States, where he said political ideology had replaced faith in some cases.
Strickland is a strong supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump and is seen as a hero by conservative U.S. Catholic media outlets that are aligned with Trump.
Ah, politics is real. Religion? Doctrine? Not so much. Focus on issues in pews, pulpits and at altars.
In conclusion: It appears that this fight focuses on the status of centuries of Catholic doctrine or, at the very least, whether some doctrines will be muted with “reforms” to pastoral practices at the level of pews and altars.
Truth is, some Catholic leaders — hello Germany — are openly calling for doctrinal change and believe the Synod on Synodality is the mechanism that will help them achieve their goals. Does Pope Francis agree?
It’s clear what Bishop Strickland thinks. The irony is that, in letters nailed to the digital doors at Twitter, he screamed (according to his critics) variations on the following words, even as he defended old-school Catholic traditions — “Here I Stand; I Can Do No Other.”
FIRST IMAGE: An old .gif is relevant again.