Strickland: Francis' Tenure Is One of the Most Polarising Pontificates in Church History

"When I received the news of my dismissal as bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, it was a moment of pain, not for me, but for the people I shepherded and for the Church I love," Monsignor Joseph Strickland, the former bishop of Tyler, Texas, told InfoVaticana.com (8 April).

- "I was not given a clear explanation."

- "I received a few words of support from some bishops, but in private. No one had the courage to support me publicly. The silence of the Shepherds says it all".

- "Courage is not optional in the episcopate, it is a requirement."

- "I think many bishops today are afraid to speak clearly."

- "There is a real fear [among bishops] of being dismissed, sidelined or punished."

- "The episcopate is not a matter of self-preservation, but of laying down one's life for the flock."

- "There is a lot of talk in the Church about synodality and mercy, but the Vatican always punishes those who defend Catholic positions, while never sanctioning those who openly promote heresies and false doctrines."

- "There is definitely a double standard in the Vatican."

- "If synodality is really about listening and walking together, why are the voices of faithful Catholics so often dismissed or silenced?"

- "If mercy is truly a hallmark of this pontificate, why is it so rarely extended to those who are simply trying to remain faithful to the deposit of faith?"

- "Mercy without truth is false mercy, and unity without truth is no unity at all."

- "The Church cannot flourish if faithfulness is punished and error tolerated."

- "We are witnessing a systematic dismantling of doctrine, liturgy and moral teaching under the pretext of 'pastoral care', 'inclusivity' or 'synodality'."

- "There is growing hostility towards the Catholic Faith and those who defend it, while confusion and error are allowed to spread unchecked, even by those in positions of the highest authority."

- "The Church is being disfigured by ambiguity, compromise and false charity."

- "Christ is the head of the Church, not any pope or bishop."

- "We are not called to be diplomats or politicians; we are successors of the Apostles."

- "Silence or compromise in the face of error is a betrayal of Christ."

-"We will not be judged by how much we have pleased the world, but by how faithfully we have proclaimed the truth.

- We are living through one of the most polarising pontificates in the history of the Church.

- "Reverence and fidelity are treated as problems, while moral confusion and compromise are tolerated or even encouraged."

- "A pontificate should confirm the brothers in the faith, not destabilise them."

#newsWbbetzijbi