Joseph Strickland was born on Halloween 1958. He was born and bred in Texas and his entire ordained ministry has been lived out in the Lone Star state.

Initially he was ordained a priest in 1985 for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. The Catholic Diocese of Tyler was carved out of the Diocese of Dallas in 1987 and Fr. Strickland became the new diocese's vocation director.

He was then sent off to the Catholic University of America to study canon law. When he returned with a Licentiate of Canon Law in his pocket, he became the judicial vicar (the judge) for the diocesan Judicial Ecclesiastical Court.

Strickland's ecclesial star continued to rise. In 1995 Pope Benedict XVI took note of the young priest and gave him the honorific title of monsignor.

Then in 2000 Msgr. Strickland was appointed the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Tyler when Bishop Edmund Carmody became the VII Bishop of Corpus Christi. The monsignor held that post until Bishop Álvaro Corrada del Rio, a Jesuit like Pope Francis, was named the III Bishop of Tyler.

In 2010 Msgr. Strickland became the Vicar General (Canon to the Ordinary) of the Diocese of Tyler which greased the skids for him to become the IV Bishop of Tyler in late 2012. Pope Francis came to the papal throne in 2013, barely four months after Bishop Strickland was elevated to the bishopric.

At that point the escalating conflict between an increasingly liberal pope and a theologically conservative bishop was established. That conflict ended on November 11, 2023 when Pope Francis summarily removed Bishop Strickland from his diocese.

"The Holy Father has removed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland from the pastoral governance of the diocese of Tyler, United States of America, and has appointed Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin as apostolic administrator of the same diocese, rendering it sede vacante," the Vatican's press office news release reads. "The decision came after an apostolic visitation ordered by the Pope last June in the Diocese of Tyler, which was entrusted to two US bishops, Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson."

"In removing Bishop Strickland from the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, Pope Francis has canceled one of the most faithful, forthright and vocal bishops in the United States," LifeSiteNews posted after hearing about the Tyler bishop's axing. "The striking move by Francis comes against one of the most forthright and vocal bishops in the United States, who has drawn considerable support both from within and without his diocese for his promotion of traditional Catholic teaching."

"Removed" is the Vatican's euphemism for fired ... canned ... sacked ... dismissed ... booted ... axed ... ousted ... kicked out ...

The term "sede vacante" means the see -- the bishop's throne -- is empty. There is no bishop ordinary running the diocese and an apostolic administrator is appointed as caregiver until a new bishop is in place. An apostolic administrator is roughly equivalent to a provisional bishop.

Currently there are several Episcopal dioceses which are sede vacante and are being overseen by provisional bishops or the diocesan standing committees and diocesan councils including: North Dakota, Southern Ohio, Rochester, East Michigan, West Michigan, West Missouri, Olympia, Western New York, Eau Claire, and Milwaukee.

Bishop Strickland ran into trouble with Pope Francis on several fronts. First, he is a very vocal conservative bishop with a growing Internet presence and a strong following. He is also willing to pack his crozier and travel beyond his diocesan boundaries to enter the thick of the fray or provide ministry for his priests.

Several years ago, Bishop Strickland travelled to Ireland to conduct the burial service for one of his priests whose body was returned to the land of his birth for burial in his family's plot.

This spring Bishop Strickland headed to Los Angeles, California to support those who were opposed to the Los Angeles Dodgers honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence -- a gay drag queen group -- as a part their Pride Night activities.

This sort of public activity rankles Pope Francis particularly since the Texas bishop is at times critical of the Pope and how he is leading the church.

"Francis has not been shy about his concerns about conservatives in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy, which has been split between progressives and conservatives who long found support in the doctrinaire papacies of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, particularly on issues of abortion and same-sex marriage," explains The Hill, a Washington, DC-based political publication.

Bishop Strickland is one of those American conservative prelates who has caught Pope Francis' eye and ire.

"Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 to become the Tyler diocese's fourth bishop, Strickland in recent years has cultivated the public persona of an outspoken firebrand who does not hesitate to challenge the current pope's leadership or criticize his fellow bishops in public," the National Catholic Reporter explains.

Apparently, the arrow that stuck in the Pope's craw was a tweet on May 13, 2023 where Bishop Strickland affirms the validity of Pope Francis' election as the 266th pope in the line of St. Peter, but disagrees with his style of spiritual leadership.

"I believe Pope Francis is the Pope but it is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith," the bishop tweeted. "Follow Jesus."

That apparently was the straw that broke the camel's back. The Pope unleashed the full forces of the Vatican against Bishop Strickland.

The Pope's softness in critical Catholic moral teachings is well known starting with his "Who am I to judge?" comment in his first new conference aboard the papal plane returning from the 2013 World Youth Day in Brazil.

The pontiff was asked by reporters about gays in the clerical ranks. He responded: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

This comment signaled to the LGBTQ lobby what seemed like an "official" shift in the Catholic Church's stance on homosexuality since Francis is the pope after all.

Fr. James Martin, a well-known proponent of the homosexual lifestyle being compatible with Catholic social justice teachings, responded: "Today Pope Francis has, once again, lived out the Gospel message of compassion for everyone."

Since then, Pope Francis consistently seems to try and chart another path causing confusion among the faithful and frustration with conservative Catholics who seek to follow the Faith once delivered to the Saints.

In 2019 Pope Francis allowed the pagan goddess Pachamama to be placed in front of the Main Altar at St. Peter's Basilica and then it was carried in procession to the Amazon Synod Hall. He then apologized that outraged conservative Catholics removed the false deity and threw it in the Tiber River to distance it from sacred space.

In 2021 the pontiff reversed the decision of his predecessor Benedict XVI to allow unfettered access to the celebration of the historic Latin Tridentine Mass. Pope Francis put severe restrictions on the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass which has caused great angst among those Catholics who love and cherish the Latin Mass.

It would be like if the Episcopal General Convention passed a resolution forbidding the church wide celebration of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer Service of Holy Communion. There are still those older Episcopalians who fondly remember and cherish the 1928 BCP and enjoy hearing the comfortable words and familiar cadence of the Service of Holy Communion being celebrated.

However, Bishop Strickland did not restrict the Latin Mass in the Diocese of Tyler as requested by Pope Francis. In fact, he learned to celebrate the Tridentine Mass with all its altar kissing's and whispered prayers in Latin.

The current pope also allows the discussions by the German bishops to go on about same-sex blessings, the possibility of priestesses, and questionable changes in the reception of Holy Communion.

But an orthodox American bishop in the piney woods of East Texas is not allowed to question the Pope's unorthodox theology.

Bishop Strickland is an ardent supporter of traditional one-man-one-woman marriage and pushes against the LGBTQ ideology. His moral theology is not squishy. He stands on a firm foundation grounded in Biblical truth and Catholic moral teaching.

In late June, following the Los Angeles Dodgers Pride game, Bishop Strickland was hit with an Apostolic Visitation, the Vatican's sanctioned intervention into a U.S. diocese to set up possible disciplinary action against the sitting bishop. The Dicastery for Bishops launched the investigation which was conducted by Arizona Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas (VI Tucson) and New Jersey Bishop Dennis Sullivan (VIII Camden).

The visiting bishops probed into diocesan records and files, interviewed clergy and staff, delved into Bishop Strickland's social media postings, and had an in depth talk with the sitting Bishop of Tyler. They were closely examining Bishop Strickland's leadership and management styles, exploring his theological positions, and ascertaining the impact the bishop's Internet presence was having.

"I kind of compare this Apostolic Visitation to being called to the principal's office," the bishop mused. "I think that I went through this because I've been bold enough, and loved the Lord enough and His Church, simply preaching the Truth."

Spiritually, Bishop Strickland leaves a strong diocese. This is evident by the fact he has 22 men in various stages of seminary training. This is happening when some dioceses do not have even one man seeking priesthood for several years at a time. And he was able to complete a robust multimillion dollar Bishop's Annual Appeal goal well ahead of schedule.

However, Bishop Strickland does have his detractors who consider that he rules with a heavy hand or even an iron fist.

"I think it's important to say that many decent good people have been hurt under his administration," Fr. Timothy Kelly, an older priest in the Diocese of Tyler tweeted. "In the past, Bishop Strickland was a nice, unassuming, likable man, but in his addiction to celebrity he has ruined lives and ruptured decades-long friendships. Families have stopped going to Mass because of his unkind words. Parents have taken their children out of Catholic schools. He needs time for reflection. He needs time to rebuild the bridges he burned."

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo (IV Galveston-Houston) who was Bishop Strickland's chief episcopal consecrator ten years ago, explains that the Apostolic Visitation was "an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the Diocese of Tyler."

"As a result of the visitation, the recommendation was made to the Holy Father that the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible," the Cardinal continued. "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."

On Thursday (Nov. 9) Pope Francis tried to force Bishop Strickland to resign. He refused.

"As a basic principle, I cannot resign the mandate given to me by Pope Benedict XVI," Bishop Strickland said. "Of course, that mandate can be rescinded by Pope Francis, but I cannot voluntarily abandon the flock that I have been given charge of as a successor of the Apostles."

The die was cast. Two days later Bishop Strickland was sent packing.

"Having been presented with that request on Nov. 9, 2023, Bishop Strickland declined to resign from office," Cardinal DiNardo explained. "Thereafter, on Nov. 11, 2023, the Holy Father removed Bishop Strickland from the office of Bishop of Tyler."

Bishop Strickland sees his removal as the Bishop of Tyler tied to differing theological issues rather than his administrative style.

"I stand by all the things that were listed as complaints against me. I know I didn't implement Traditionis Custodes [the Pope Francis decree restricting the Traditional Latin Mass] because I can't starve out part of my flock," Bishop Strickland told LifeSite News just shortly after learning about the Vatican's action against him. "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 question is: Was the Apostolic Visitation a smoke screen to cover the fact that Pope Francis wanted Bishop Strickland out of the way due to his criticism of Francis' papal administrative style? The answer may never be known.

BISHOP WILLIAM LOVE

Bishop Strickland is not the only bishop to be shown the front door by an ecclesiastical superior. Episcopal Bishop William Love (IX Albany) was also forced into retirement for his standing pat on traditional marriage and his refusal to allow same-sex blessings to be conducted within the Diocese of Albany.

For this he was found guilty of failing to "conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church."

The crux of the canonical problem surrounding Bishop Love is his understanding of the 2018 Resolution B-012's canonical reach which purportedly mandates the celebration of same-sex marriage rites in all domestic Episcopal Church dioceses. Bishop Love stood firm in forbidding his clergy from performing such alternative ceremonies in his diocese.

Bishop Love contended that he had a fiduciary responsibility to God to be faithful to the Gospel and to the biblical understanding of traditional marriage.

"The only thing I have been arguing in terms of what God has revealed in Holy Scripture regarding this matter is that when it comes to sexual intimacy, that has been reserved by God to be carried out in the confines of marriage between a man and a woman," he said at his 2020 Disciplinary Hearing.

But Bishop Love saw the writing on the wall. His position was doomed, the Episcopal Church's embrace of the culture was complete. He would be shown the front door.

"Presiding Bishop Michael Curry expresses sadness for the pain that has been experienced across the theological spectrum and also his continuing support for the Church's intention that all persons have access to marriage rites authorized by the Church," the Episcopal News Service reported. "He expresses thanks for Bishop Love's faithfulness as Bishop of Albany and wishes him well in retirement."

After Bishop Love was "helped" into retirement in 2020, he packed his miter and crozier and found a new home in the Anglican Church in North America in 2021. There he is the assisting bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word.

Bishop Love brought to ACNA with him the Sisters of the Community of St. Mary -- Eastern Province, who were home-based in the Episcopal Diocese of Albany.

FR. CALVIN ROBINSON

Across the pond another young passionate English cleric has had to leave Mother Church to fulfill God's call to the priesthood.

Calvin Robinson was seeking ordination as a Church of England transitional deacon which would hopefully lead to priestly orders. But then he encountered the bishopess of London -- Sarah Mullally. She couldn't find a "suitable curacy" for him following the concerns raised by the Bishop of Fulham Jonathan Baker and the Bishop of Edmonton Rob Wickham about Robinson's "libertarian anti-woke, anti-identity politics, COVID-skeptical" political views and his use of social media, particularly Twitter.

Faced with the prospect of not being able to pursue ordination in the Church of England Robinson went into the Free Church of England where he was ordained deacon in 2022 and found his curacy at Christ Church in Harlesden in Northwest London.

Deacon Robinson, like Bishop Strickland, is an articulate, passionate apologist for the faith. He, too, developed a social media following.

The deacon railed against homosexuality, same-sex marriage, LGBTQ ideology, critical race theory, the ordination of women, the cancel culture, abortion, and is a noted and popular conservative political commentator.

In September Dcn. Robinson was shown the door at GB News after speaking out in favor of Laurence Fox, a conservative political activist, who had been suspended for his public comments made about a female journalist.

GB News is a political startup which broadcasts original news, opinion, and debate. Deacon Robinson was a familiar voice at GB News until he was sacked.

About that same time Dcn. Robinson left the Free Church of England and joined the Nordic Catholic Church, which is a part of the Old Catholic tradition. On November 4 Calvin Robinson finally achieved his goal of priestly ordination at the episcopal hands of Bishop Roald Nikolai Flemestad, Bishop Delegate of the Union of Scranton in Europe. Now Fr. Calvin Robinson is still serving Christ Church but now as an Old Catholic priest not a Free Church of England deacon.

"I have always been catholic, but now I am Catholic," Fr. Robinson explains following his conversation to the Nordic Catholic Church. "I could still be described as Anglican in the sense that I am English and Catholic, and I appreciate the English expression of the Catholic faith. Whilst I am still Catholic from the Angles -- England -- I would say I am no longer Anglo-Catholic; I am now Old Catholic. I am a priest of Catholic orders and Anglican patrimony."

Fr. Robinson has met Bishop Strickland and had a picture taken with him. The occasion was last month at the Reformed Episcopal Church's Good Shepherd's Annual Benefactor Banquet in Flint, Texas where the soon-to-be-ordained priest was the keynote speaker.

While he was in the United States, he was making the rounds of conservative talk shows including The Glenn Beck Show where he discussed the same-sex blessings happening within the Church of England.

Along with Bishop Strickland, Fr. Robinson is a member of the Board of Trustees for the proposed St. Padre Pio Institute for the Relief of Suffering School of Osteopathic Medicine in Atchison, Kansas.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.