Tyler Bishop Strickland dismissed by Pope Francis

**Pope Francis Removes Bishop Joseph Strickland from Leadership of Diocese of Tyler**

**TYLER, Texas** – Pope Francis has officially relieved Bishop Joseph Strickland of his duties as the Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, effective Saturday, November 11th. The decision, communicated to Bishop Strickland in a letter dated November 11th, follows an Apostolic Visitation of the diocese earlier this year.

Bishop Strickland revealed he was asked to resign on Thursday, November 9th, during a meeting with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington D.C. Strickland stated he refused to resign, explaining he "could not resign from something I had not merited."

He emphasized that he was not accused of any misconduct or immorality. Instead, Bishop Strickland stated the concerns raised were about "the governance of the Diocese of Tyler." From his perspective, Strickland implied the issues stemmed from his "fidelity to the Catholic faith."

The Vatican's decision comes after an Apostolic Visitation of the Diocese of Tyler, which concluded in June. Bishop Strickland has been a prominent figure in conservative Catholic circles, often vocal on social media regarding his views on Church doctrine.

Following Bishop Strickland's removal, Bishop Joe Vasquez of the Diocese of Austin has been appointed by the Vatican as the Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Tyler. This temporary role will see Bishop Vasquez oversee the operations and governance of the diocese.

Bishop Strickland confirmed his intention to remain within the geographical boundaries of the Diocese of Tyler, though no longer in a leadership capacity.

For more information on the dioceses, please visit [https://www.dioceseoftyler.org](https://www.dioceseoftyler.org) and [https://austindiocese.org](https://austindiocese.org).